Strong vibration at 2000rpm

Cbrohr

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2018
Location
Western NC
TDI
2005 Passat
2005 passat tdi 160k

I am not a mechanic, I don't work on my own car.

Very strong vibrations at and around 2000rpm, both in drive and in neutral. No engine sounds or sputters. Drives normally at rpms above and below 2k. This happened practically overnight.

I have just spent 2k on 2 mechanics (vw specialist and a diesel specialist) trying to fix this issue in the last 2 weeks to no avail. Both gave up.

Replaced front drivers side axle, transmission mounts, 3 engine mounts, 4 brand new tires, injectors all test fine, did a fuel system clean out.

I have read a bit about a balance shaft that could be going. Would like more info on that to possibly talk with a third mechanic.

Other possible causes? Harmonic balancer, serpentine belt?

I am at my wits end. I spent 6k on this car less than 2 years ago and have put just as much into repairs. Did I buy a sinking ship? I need to know if it is even worth trying to find someone who can fix my car or if it is a lost cause. Please help!!!
 

peiphil

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Location
Tignish PEI Canada
TDI
2005 passat GLS TDI and big old Dodge Cummins TDI
sounds like the chain on the bsm has jumped a few cogs
The geared replacement is the perfect fix but some go for the cheaper delete option but with more vibration
I put the geared one in mine and smooth and quiet but 1300 Canadian bucks !
 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
05 GLS BHW sedan 5 speed conversion. BHW Carver SantaCruz in progress
My god man, at 6 k you could have paid one of they guys on here to do a 5 speed conversion, timing belt and bsm delete. Had a dead reliable passat(except for oil hammer who's reliably beating on slush boxes at 200k plus with a stage 2 tune). You didn't buy a sinking ship, you wasted money on inept techs who threw darts into the dark to see what stuck.
 

Cbrohr

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2018
Location
Western NC
TDI
2005 Passat
To clarify, I haven't thrown 6k at this particular problem. That is just my running total for repairs in 2 years of owning the car.

Two other things that have been suggested:
Bad torque converter
Cracked cam followers


A question about diagnosing the torque converter...when car is revved in P or N, it shakes at 2000rpm as well. Wondering if this would narrow out the torque converter as being a possible option.

The balance shaft was inspected by my mechanic and the chain and sprocket are fairly new, so he is pretty confident this isn't the issue. My mounts were all bad, but clearly, they were not the source of the shaking.
 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
05 GLS BHW sedan 5 speed conversion. BHW Carver SantaCruz in progress
When your bs was inspected did he drop the oil pan?
If the oil pan was not dropped then the absolutely did it inspect it, properly anyway. My chain/tensioner and heard looked 100% fine but the hex shafts were anything but.
The torque converter spins whether your in p or any gear. Ive heard of broken flywheels causing vibration but never a torque converter. Only cels and a lack of overdrive when a tc fails on the passat.
The cam is a very common wear item. You should be able to inspect the lobes easlily by removing the valve cover. I've never heard of it causing so much vibration, just missing/loss of power.
There were some cracked cranks on the BHWs years ago but i would have thought those weeded themselves out by now.
 
Last edited:

Cbrohr

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2018
Location
Western NC
TDI
2005 Passat
He did drop the pan when he inspected it. I will have it looked at more closely. It sounds like the problem can be narrowed down with this info a bit more easily. Thanks for the suggestions, I will follow up soon.
 

MEgearhead

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2016
Location
Virginia
TDI
B5.5, 4L, 4G
If you still have the chain drive BSM, I'd either delete it or change it to a geared unit.

I went ahead and deleted mine at 160K with a timing belt. At first I felt I had changed it prematurely since the chain and sprockets had almost no wear, and the tensioner had slight wear. After examining the chain further I found that several pins evenly spaced around the chain were significantly worn. You can only determine this by stretching and compressing the chain on a bench with it removed. In my opinion, checking the condition of a chain driven BSM with the intent to return to service is foolhardy. Even if it were not, I don't understand how one could check it without removing both the pan and the front cover.

After finding significant wear on only some of the pins on the chain, I counted the teeth on both sprockets, gears, and links on the chain. Whoever designed it needs to go back and repeat first semester Machine Design. They all have multiple common factors. Obviously one has to have a factor of 2, but the rest could have been prime. Common factors continually load the same links of the chain, as opposed to spreading it out.

If I remember correctly, you have to take the pan off to check BSM timing. At that point you might as well delete or upgrade it.
 

Cbrohr

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2018
Location
Western NC
TDI
2005 Passat
Okay, so if I were to decide between the delete or upgrade...what are the pros and cons of each? I put upwards of about 100 miles a day on my car, so I want the best, most lasting repair. Can you recommend the best place to buy the kit from? With everything I already have into this car, I feel like it would be foolish to give up on it now, but I want to make sure I do the best thing for it in the long run.
 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
05 GLS BHW sedan 5 speed conversion. BHW Carver SantaCruz in progress
I hear added vibes at idle. The egr delete makes it noticeably louder, not sure id delete egr again in the future. The bs delete, 100% I'd delete it every time.

Had a guy this weekend standing outside my car mention it was louder than the average automobile diesel. She's a mouse compared to a 6bt or 4bt
 

MEgearhead

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2016
Location
Virginia
TDI
B5.5, 4L, 4G
BSM delete vs. upgrade to geared is really a personal choice. It all comes down to how much you want to spend and how tolerant you will be of slightly more vibration. Many have posted they can't tell the difference. I don't remember who, but one member has both versions and strongly recommends the delete.

I can only provide my experience. The increase in vibration was not intolerable. For me it was definitely noticable, but just at the threshold of mildly annoying. However, I'm less tolerant of noise/vibration than most. For me it's not the idle that's the worst, it's a buzziness at around 1600 and 3200. For a while I was planning on changing to the gear drive at the next timing belt change, but at this point I have grown accustomed to it.
 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
05 GLS BHW sedan 5 speed conversion. BHW Carver SantaCruz in progress
I can only feel increased vibes at ilde. I did the 5 speed conversion at the same time which may have made a difference. I also have a stupid heavy single mass flywheel that cost me more than i paid for the car.


40 mpgs on the morning commute, worth every penny.
 

auntulna

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2005
Location
Springfield, MO
TDI
05 GLS Passat wagon, mit panzer plate
For no reason except betting in my head, I think it's the cam and lifters. My 200,000 mile wagon vibrates from 1800-2100 rpm, any gear or road speed, except not at idle or neutral.



I have replaced torque converter a while ago, trans seems fine, have geared balance shaft. Still have good pep with RC2. Torsion = -0.5.



Interested how this turns out.
 

Cbrohr

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2018
Location
Western NC
TDI
2005 Passat
Well, the balance shaft delete did not fix the problem. If it is an injector issue, which I now suspect because it is stalling often at low idle, would a code be thrown to trigger check engine? I have no warning lights,but now signs are pointing to a bad injector. I had a second shop tell me my injectors were fine, but i have now been informed that they might not have even tested them since i didn't receive any type of printout.
 

MEgearhead

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2016
Location
Virginia
TDI
B5.5, 4L, 4G
Do you have the ability to read the measuring blocks? Something like a Ross-tech and VCDS. If so you can look at the idle compensation. If there's significant difference between the values, injectors are suspect.

You could easily rule out the cam by pulling the valve cover. Eventhough VW says the gasket is not available separately, it is. You can find the part number in the frequently used part number sticky.
 
Top