Oil Pump chain survey

Many Belated Thanks to Oilhammer

for making me chainless last August...(Sorry, but life happens along the way!)

Car has been running great! I did notice a lot more smoke during the drive home, but it has gone back to previous smoke amounts now. These cars are absolutely superb on mountains by the way.

Oilhammer's place of work was extremely clean, and I highly recommend them!

VW B5 Passat

I just looked at my engine number and Big EZ's (page 3, I think) number and my numbers are 400 off. 015 582 built 11/13/2004 10:38 59 W K 13-2. So they must build ~400 engines in a 12 hour period, if we can take the 10:38 and the 20:xx to be the military time(which they use over there) of day and the last 3 digits to be the sequentially numbered serial #. Car build date was 11/04. (Funny, I bought mine in May 05 as well.)
No issue as yet,with my chain or BS, but definitely the starting issue since the Glow Plug recall, which I was an idiot and had done as soon as I got it in the mail. I only have 33500 miles on it. Oil changed by dealer on their schedule with their oil.

Update on Balance Shaft issue in Canada (Transport Canada statement)

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=2947526#post2947526

bmccrea said:

Just following up on the poll bit...
It seems that 75% have not had an issue yet (combining 04 and 05).
Could that be a mileage thing?... i sorta doubt that as leicaman's was obviously noisy by his video just before 60k.

what does the repair run (parts/labor) roughly?


(i'd really like a passat TDI but this issue sort of scares me).

Click to expand...

What would interest me, would not be just who had an issue, but also who was using the exact dealer recommended oil and who was not and their change intervals. Factors like this are important to deciphering what is the root cause. I really am beginning to believe this whole thing is an oil related issue, the cause being improper lubrication. The oil is very stressed in this motor, so if there is a special modifier in that Liter directly imported from Europe, and the oil here does not have "the right stuff", people could be screwing themselves to save a few bucks.

I was using the "exact" oil spec the entire time, as with the filters. The problem is not the oil, the problem was the design and VW knew/knows it. If they didn't they wouldn't have done the change (TSB technically).

It is not an oil issue, it is a crappy design issue that was changed way back in 2006. And yes, even the engines that were equipped with this setup in Europe are breaking too. Over there, it is generally in some Audi models, I forget the engine code. The BHW is specific to North America.

jcaimhigher said:

I was using the "exact" oil spec the entire time, as with the filters. The problem is not the oil, the problem was the design and VW knew/knows it. If they didn't they wouldn't have done the change (TSB technically).

Click to expand...

Does anyone have access to the TSB so I can take it to my dealer? I want to push the issue with VW.

If you are out of warranty, what's the point, lariatsd?

abctdi said:

If you are out of warranty, what's the point, lariatsd?

Click to expand...

The point is that by myself making even more noise than the chain did, I got VW to cover 75% of my out-of-warranty BSM upgrade. The car was 50,000 miles beyond the end of the powertrain warranty.

It's worth a shot. What has he got to lose?

Nothing...but I think that you (planecrazy) are the only one here that got that kind of deal, IIRC, which was awesome.
I wish him luck, but just wanted to set expectations low to reduce the disappointment. Maybe he still has warranty?

Even if he still has warranty it has been hit and miss however, unless it is REALLY loud or outright fails.

Tsb

Guys,
Still under warranty. Just post this TSB IF you have it. Already have brought it up to the dealer and VW, so on record. I do not take no for an answer. So if you really have access....... Please post it. I just got them to reverse the Glow Plug screw up. I have ceramics again, until and if they ever figure out what they are really going to do to fix it right. The dealer says the Beetle is a 5 hour job with many new parts besides the plugs NKG GP is the new one, I guess. I WILL NOT be the first in the door when they come out with the fix for this GP emission fix next time.

Does anyone notice a slap type sound when downshifting into first with the Tiptronic? I wonder if that is the BS chain? Does not happen all the time either.

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/BHW...I-original.pdf

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/BHW...pGear_TPI1.pdf

These were bulletins gleaned off the VW server in Europe to deal with the problem to a very similar engine in European passats and audis. It was on the VW system for only a short period of time. VW has since taken this smoking gun down from their servers. The original document is the one with out the photos that were added to help the members sort through this mess.

This TPI (it is not a TSB) is where we all caught wind of the repair parts to make our BHW motors quiet and sane once again. You could and should spend the time to read and look at everything in the following thread: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=233651 It contains EVERY major point discussed in the discovery of the new parts, including the TPI that was briefly on the servers and in this post.

VW should be hung out to dry for what they did to us B5.5 passat owners.

Some people have gotten this fixed under warranty. Great if you can get them to do it. But I will warn you. VW will say they've not heard of this problem. They will act dumb and dumber.

BTW, I will not let VW touch my car ECM ever again. If I have things done it will be a rocketchip flash. My car has run perfectly since the recall and flash under the campaign, so I personally do not have a beef. I am a lucky minority.

Good luck.

leicaman your response

leicaman,
Thanks, but it seems that VW has a far reaching hand. Both of the below links are no longer found on the server. Do you(or anyone else) have original files that you could send me?

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/BHW...I-original.pdf

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/BHW...pGear_TPI1.pdf

These were bulletins gleaned off the VW server in Europe to deal with the problem to a very similar engine in European passats and audis. It was on the VW system for only a short period of time. VW has since taken this smoking gun down from their servers. The original document is the one with out the photos that were added to help the members sort through this mess.

Maybe this will work... http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/BHW-OilPumpGear_TPI11.pdf

Like he said, you got extremely (EXTREMELY) lucky with VW doing ANYTHING to the car. I have found that it also comes down to how bad the dealership badmouths the customer to VWOA.

I personally was told by the service goons at the VW dealership at LIBERTY VW in LIBERTYVILLE IL, that's right, buy from there and expect the outright BEST (sarcasm on overdrive) service - that they told VWOA that the turbo was blown and the customer already pulled stuff off of the car to look at the car, the customer had numerous aftermarket items that aided in this failure.

Understand, they never mentioned to them what the items were, a coolant heater, boost gauge and the boost valve, which they didn't even see, they just went off of the gauge on the steering column.

They don't want to investigate. Additionally, mine was one of the first to have this happen. I was screwed before I opened my mouth and I was ONLY 5k after the PT warranty was up AND they had done repairs at 40k on the oil pump flange from a leak and noise. They also supposedly replaced that chain.

You can say you don't take "no" for an answer, and that's good, but figure out how much you're going to want to fight. If you cannot prove the mfg KNEW of the mfg defect AND it caused a 'safety' concern then you MIGHT get somewhere. IF you can get the dealership on your side, then you have a better chance.

It's WELL known that VW has the WORST customer service rating in the industry. People say they like them because they fixed all their stuff - under warranty. You have the law on your side in the case that they don't so I don't use that as a determining factor.

I have another B5.5 1.8t and I will NEVER let VW ever touch my vehicles again, ever. You'd be crazy unless it's something under warranty or a recalled item.

Ticked? nah, I'm not ticked, I was FUMING during the ordeal. Now, I just know to never buy a new one from them and never take it into them. They know this, they know there are enough of us out there doing maintenance for others and they have begun a campaign to make it impossible for shadetrees and those of us that are mechanics, to do work on their vehicles so they can keep the profits.

Hopefully we will persevere. Good luck with your endeavor but when frustration comes just smile.

Lariatsd said:

leicaman,
Thanks, but it seems that VW has a far reaching hand. Both of the below links are no longer found on the server. Do you(or anyone else) have original files that you could send me?

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/BHW...I-original.pdf

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/500/BHW...pGear_TPI1.pdf

These were bulletins gleaned off the VW server in Europe to deal with the problem to a very similar engine in European passats and audis. It was on the VW system for only a short period of time. VW has since taken this smoking gun down from their servers. The original document is the one with out the photos that were added to help the members sort through this mess.

Click to expand...

Lariatsd,

These docs have been emailed to you. If any else of you want a copy of these, pm me. They are on my photo album on the forums.

DUUUUUUUUUDE!!!! I just read through this ENTIRE THREAD over COUNTLESS HOURS just to learn that there's a sticky at the top of the forum with the answer to the problem. (I was led to this thread by a direct link)

What a waste of my life!

05 Passat B5.5 178k just about to break changed with timing belt

I was doing a search as to when to change my timing belt for the second time and came across this forum. It convinced me that I needed to be proactive and change the sprocket and or the oil pump. Called VW dealer, they were aware of issue but would not help with the cost, estimate was $1281 for timing belt & $1558 for water pump $2839 but after talking to their mechanic I could see they did not understand the issue (said to change TB 90k-110k) and I had no confidence in them. I called a local mechanic that changed my first timing belt at 88k, explained it the that best that I could, he sounded skeptical and said he had never heard of such a thing so I emailed him this forum and it convinced him that it was worth doing. He was able to import a used part from Germany for $600 (took two weeks) He just called to say the job was finished and that he was amazed that he he was able to turn the crank shaft 3/4 of the way around before it would engage and that it was hanging by a shoestring. I am so glad that I didn't throw that extra grand away for nothing ($900 extra over the timing belt change with labor) $2000 for everything. I had no warnings or noises at all, just lucked out finding this forum. This car has been excellent and I want to keep it until it dies so hoping to get another 100k out of it. It is now at 179k with plenty of power & avg 40 mpg. The only problem I ever had with it was a serious loss of power once while driving to work. Luckily I was just passing a diesel auto repair shop (in the middle of rural nowhere) and I pulled in and left my car. They did not have the diagnostic equipment and once the car was turned off and restarted it never did it again. I am a 64 yr old female that can change a tire and do basics but most of this is way over my head but I am a good researcher and I use this forum quite a bit. Thank you all for your contribution to this forum it has helped me so many times and I think really seriously saved me a new engine on this issue.

225,000 miles here got it at 215,000 chainless when I bought it. so it was an issue some time before 215,000.