BHW Balance Shaft Module replacement

TDIsyncro · Mar 23, 2009

leicaman said:
Sure does sound to me like a warranty claim! Hmmmmm somebody in vw land realizes that this is a problem....

It does. I think it might be more of a dealership that really wants to help its customers

and is thus using language to describe a problem that needs a remedy under warranty, to justify its claim to head office.

CalgaryTDI said:
invoice state they heard "heavy vibration" at idle and found "play in the balance shafts" when they pulled the oil pan....

anoldbaldman · Mar 23, 2009

anyone in Oregon that will do the repair work?

dlai · Mar 23, 2009

anoldbaldman said:
anyone in Oregon that will do the repair work?

Look up member Oldpoopie...

leicaman · Mar 23, 2009

That is the very quandry I am personally in. My car has 55k on it, still under the drivetrain warranty. I am loathe to have the dealer muff up my otherwise pristine Black Leather equipped Passat TDI GLS. I have read of the multiple failures caused by dealerships who frankly try everything to avoid doing the right thing. I have the start of the "noise" and I have personally driven an Oilhammer converted machine as a test to feel what its like. I just don't want to be a guinea pig! Even though it would be out of my stretched pocket, I feel Oilhammer or any other suitable guru would do a more proper and complete job.

Vent on: VW if you are reading this, remember I've driven VW cars since I was 16 years old! My dad didn't have any issues at all with that car! Today I am a somewhat grumpy BHW owner who will get his car updated. There vent off.

owr084 · Mar 24, 2009

leicaman said:
That is the very quandry I am personally in. My car has 55k on it, still under the drivetrain warranty. I am loathe to have the dealer muff up my otherwise pristine Black Leather equipped Passat TDI GLS. I have read of the multiple failures caused by dealerships who frankly try everything to avoid doing the right thing. I have the start of the "noise" and I have personally driven an Oilhammer converted machine as a test to feel what its like. I just don't want to be a guinea pig! Even though it would be out of my stretched pocket, I feel Oilhammer or any other suitable guru would do a more proper and complete job.

I am in the same boat as you. I have 2500 miles left on warranty and getting more and more vibrations. I've already ordered the parts and will have the work done this weekend, but not by the dealer. I do not want to risk having the dealer take everything apart, claim that their is no problem and then be stuck with a huge bill.

I will just suck up the cost and hope that later, VW reimburses me for the work done.

leicaman · Mar 24, 2009

Yes that is my fear that the dealer would fubar the works up.

anoldbaldman · Mar 24, 2009

He just replaced my turn signal switch Monday. He gave me Double J in Portland and I have been in contact with him. Thanks.

dlai said:
Look up member Oldpoopie...

Ferniediesel · Mar 24, 2009

I also had our 2005 TDI wagon BS module / timing belt replaced along with the ceramic glow plugs at 5th Ave VW in Calgary. I was 6000km over the 100,000km warranty but had been watching things closely on the site. I initially discussed this problem with the dealer and at that time they had not heard anything about it. However, shortly after bringing it to their attention, a vehicle came in with the problem. Since then, they have also fixed CalgaryTDI's car and my car. Since it was close to the warranty period and I had brought this issue to their attention in the first place, they were very fair with me and covered the Labour cost. In the end, the cost was $3200 for the job. Lastly, while I did start investigating local independant shops to do the job, none of them had any experience with this issue, where as this VW dealer had at least done one job before mine. Also, should VW end up having a recall, I think it will be easier to get reimbursed for the BS parts since I had the work done at a VW dealer.

All in all, very happy with the outcome - car is making much less noise and vibration. Good to go for another 300,000km

abctdi · Mar 24, 2009

CalgaryTDI said:
Well, I got my car back from the dealership today- man it is a different vehicle! They replaced the BS with the VW gear driven assembly, did the timing chain, tensioner and water pump while they were in there, replaced the 4 glow plugs and did the reflash, replaced the front cv boots, gave it a 4 wheel alignment and even replaced the windshield they apparently cracked while working on the car - my total cost was $1657.00. The fact that the car is torn down so completely to do this work results in an a/c evacuation and recharge which is a good thing as well, not to mention the free oil change and coolant flush.
The car is dramatically smoother - it now sounds much more like my wife's 06 Jetta TDI at idle. My dealership, Fifth Avenue Auto Haus, says that they are now aware of the BS issue and are actively telling their customers with the model to come in to have it checked out and replaced if necessary under warranty. The notes on my invoice state they heard "heavy vibration" at idle and found "play in the balance shafts" when they pulled the oil pan. The "Tech Help Line" apparently advised to "update oil pump module with gear driven assembly". If any Passat TDIs are around Calgary, I would suggest approaching this dealership since they seem very aware of the issue and willing to address it. I am more than pleased with the service I have gotten there.

Okay, now that the cat's out of the bag...I just had mine done under warranty also. The above story is similar to mine, but all I had done was the BS at zero cost to me.
You can't go in guns blazing with non-vw references. You must approach softly and in writing/email, the service manager and ask if he is aware to begin with. If not, it's not his fault. The vw infrastructure is frustrating to them, so provide the vw document as evidence and let them find the rest.
Once they acknowledge the issue, share your fear that they will hear nothing out of the ordinary and send you on your way. They must compare it to one that is not noisy before they will eliminate other noise sources and confirm it is coming from in the engine. Once they do that, they should follow their process for R&R approval and you will be on your way. Have patience and expect loss of use of your car for at least a week. I think if you give them a chance, they want to do what is right.
My fingers are crossed that mine was done correctly and I'm good to go for...ever. So far it is quieter and I'm seeing a slight increase in mpg, but I have only 2 days worth of driving on it.

oilhammer · Mar 24, 2009

This is good news, at least for those still under warranty. I just hope the dealers are in fact getting the proper SSTs in, and doing the job correctly.

I can only imagine a M&P timing belt job on top of a M&P balance shaft job

.

Clearly though, if the cars are quieter and smoother (as they should be) they are probably doing it correctly.

Anyone who has any warranty left should probably investigate this further at their local dealership, and post here!

deming · Mar 24, 2009

Oilhammer--

What kind of relationship do you have with the VW dealer in St. Louis.

Can those of us that still have VW factory warranty remaining get good quality work and paid for under warranty down there?
Any other U.S dealers that are knowlegeable and "IN THE KNOW"

I am very leary of walking into a VW dealership and getting a big line of BS, poor workmanship, a big $$ repair bill and more of a problem leaving than when I arrived.

Thanks
Deming

oilhammer · Mar 24, 2009

PM sent.

volkswagendude · Mar 24, 2009

CalgaryTDI said:
Well, I got my car back from the dealership today- man it is a different vehicle! They replaced the BS with the VW gear driven assembly, did the timing chain, tensioner and water pump while they were in there, replaced the 4 glow plugs and did the reflash, replaced the front cv boots, gave it a 4 wheel alignment and even replaced the windshield they apparently cracked while working on the car - my total cost was $1657.00. The fact that the car is torn down so completely to do this work results in an a/c evacuation and recharge which is a good thing as well, not to mention the free oil change and coolant flush.
The car is dramatically smoother - it now sounds much more like my wife's 06 Jetta TDI at idle. My dealership, Fifth Avenue Auto Haus, says that they are now aware of the BS issue and are actively telling their customers with the model to come in to have it checked out and replaced if necessary under warranty. The notes on my invoice state they heard "heavy vibration" at idle and found "play in the balance shafts" when they pulled the oil pan. The "Tech Help Line" apparently advised to "update oil pump module with gear driven assembly". If any Passat TDIs are around Calgary, I would suggest approaching this dealership since they seem very aware of the issue and willing to address it. I am more than pleased with the service I have gotten there.

This is the 2nd best news that I have heard on this rocky road to recovery! The 1st obviously being that VW made a bolt on geared setup for our cars to begin with.

aja8888 said:
Calgary TDI: was your BS assembly replaced under warranty? Your total cost is very low for what you had done if you were to pay for all that work.

I second the question!

vw4life said:
CalgaryTDI, how do you broach this subject with your dealer? Did you go in gunz-a-blazing with TDI club print outs or did your drop it off and play dumb telling them it vibrates a lot?

An other good question, I'm very curious too!!!

deming · Mar 24, 2009

I think within the next 4-6 months more dealers and VW/Audi mechanics will be aware of this issue and a few more of them will have performed this procedure.

Who pays the bill is of course the question of the day?

My car will still be headed to Oilhammer, because I want the very best working on my car. He will do the job correctly!!

Benjamin · Mar 25, 2009

At least I know which dealer I go to for the parts here in Calgary. Too bad the car is way past any warranty coverage, oh well

sincoa · Mar 25, 2009

Another one fixed

Hello all,

Well, I took the car yesterday to get the BS module replaced, along with the timing belt, water pump, oil change, and cam seal. I did not go to the dealer because the dealer had NO idea about it and I am out of warranty anyway. I went to Induktion Motorsports in Maryland. One thing that was very nice is that they paid for a rental car for me which was very helpful since they are about an hour away. The car has 64.5K on it. I asked them how the parts looked and they said they were in pretty good shape, but showing some signs of "fatigue" - but there was no way to know that unless it was taken apart and looked at. Even so, the peace of mind is worth a lot. The cost for everything was $3347. Yikes, I think I need to take a second mortgage out on my house

- just kidding - but in all honesty, that is the biggest car repair I've ever had! They gave me the parts in case I need them down the road. Now, that I've had this done, I will write my letter to VW and file a claim with NHTSA. At least they checked the car over and said it's in really good shape otherwise. Thanks again to everyone for your help and advice. -Andrea

maktas · Mar 25, 2009

Sincoa,

Congrats on having a chainless BHW! Please send your old parts to OH and he will add it to the massive pile that will eventually end up on Jacoby's lawn if they don't do a recall soon!

maktas · Mar 25, 2009

CalgaryTDI said:
Well, I got my car back from the dealership today- man it is a different vehicle! They replaced the BS with the VW gear driven assembly, did the timing chain, tensioner and water pump while they were in there, replaced the 4 glow plugs and did the reflash, replaced the front cv boots, gave it a 4 wheel alignment and even replaced the windshield they apparently cracked while working on the car - my total cost was $1657.00. The fact that the car is torn down so completely to do this work results in an a/c evacuation and recharge which is a good thing as well, not to mention the free oil change and coolant flush.
The car is dramatically smoother - it now sounds much more like my wife's 06 Jetta TDI at idle. My dealership, Fifth Avenue Auto Haus, says that they are now aware of the BS issue and are actively telling their customers with the model to come in to have it checked out and replaced if necessary under warranty. The notes on my invoice state they heard "heavy vibration" at idle and found "play in the balance shafts" when they pulled the oil pan. The "Tech Help Line" apparently advised to "update oil pump module with gear driven assembly". If any Passat TDIs are around Calgary, I would suggest approaching this dealership since they seem very aware of the issue and willing to address it. I am more than pleased with the service I have gotten there.

This is good progress, I hope we will see this activity in Ontario and the rest of North America for that matter. I just e-mailed my dealer service manager telling him about the developments in Calgary, he will take up this issue in his VW regional service meeting on April 8th. I don't think too much will come out of this unless they see a slew of broken chain BHWs come into their shops.

PlaneCrazy · Mar 25, 2009

CalgaryTDI said:
Well, I got my car back from the dealership today- man it is a different vehicle! They replaced the BS with the VW gear driven assembly, did the timing chain, tensioner and water pump while they were in there, replaced the 4 glow plugs and did the reflash, replaced the front cv boots, gave it a 4 wheel alignment and even replaced the windshield they apparently cracked while working on the car - my total cost was $1657.00. The fact that the car is torn down so completely to do this work results in an a/c evacuation and recharge which is a good thing as well, not to mention the free oil change and coolant flush.
The car is dramatically smoother - it now sounds much more like my wife's 06 Jetta TDI at idle. My dealership, Fifth Avenue Auto Haus, says that they are now aware of the BS issue and are actively telling their customers with the model to come in to have it checked out and replaced if necessary under warranty. The notes on my invoice state they heard "heavy vibration" at idle and found "play in the balance shafts" when they pulled the oil pan. The "Tech Help Line" apparently advised to "update oil pump module with gear driven assembly". If any Passat TDIs are around Calgary, I would suggest approaching this dealership since they seem very aware of the issue and willing to address it. I am more than pleased with the service I have gotten there.

Was your car still under warranty? Because $1657 is a hell of a good price for this work, or was it just the TB and routine wear-and-tear stuff that cost you that and the BS module was done under warranty?

My warranty is expired by a long shot at 171,000 km. I fear I will have to eat this one myself.

vdub DR · Mar 26, 2009

What is the failure rate? @4%. That is Catastrophic. Keep the economy going and keep buying BS modules.

TDIJetta99 · Mar 26, 2009

Just did one the other day... 80k... guide worn through, chain rattling something fierce.. The one I did before that had around 200k and looked absolutely fine, but the drive sprocket was starting to show some wear..

Oilhammer has repaired more failed units than I have replaced period.. He knows his stuff..

The failure rate will start going up as time goes on.. Wait till they start getting near the 10 year mark.. They will ALL fail in due time.. It's a very weak design.. There's a reason why they stopped using the design and have a factory TSB on it.. That setup is ONLY used for 2 years on one engine code only in North America..

What's cheaper? Balance shaft upgrade now or engine replacement later? Do the replacement engines have the gear drive?

leicaman · Mar 26, 2009

TDIJetta99 said: "What's cheaper? Balance shaft upgrade now or engine replacement later? Do the replacement engines have the gear drive?"

I would gather any BHW motors in the warehouse have the chain driven mess still in them.

volkswagendude · Mar 26, 2009

vdub DR said:
What is the failure rate? @4%. That is Catastrophic. Keep the economy going and keep buying BS modules.

So I'm guessing that this is your FIRST EVER POST ON TDICLUB??? Who are you? I think that a proper introduction is required.

whitedog · Mar 26, 2009

volkswagendude said:
So I'm guessing that this is your FIRST EVER POST ON TDICLUB??? Who are you? I think that a proper introduction is required.

Just a quack here with a big spoon to stir things up. Ignore him.

aja8888 · Mar 26, 2009

volkswagendude said:
So I'm guessing that this is your FIRST EVER POST ON TDICLUB??? Who are you? I think that a proper introduction is required.

Yeah he (she?) pokes in now and then to make a fool out of her or himself.

SUNRG · Mar 26, 2009

interestingly, when i ordered my geared BS a search determined that there were none in US warehouses, and a total of 9 at US dealers - 7 of which were all at one dealer and all were spoken for. in Germany however there were more than 2600 of our gear driven BS parts available.

i'm not speaking in general terms, there are over 2600 of part 03G-103-295-Q on shelves in German warehouses.

i guess they're expecting that at least a few people will grasp the merit of this upgrade. or maybe they're just starting to ramp up supplies for a pending recall?

my part made a very quick trip from Germany to reach me

everybody keep your receipts!

KALaBenne · Mar 26, 2009

SUNRG said:
7 of which were all at one dealer and all were spoken for.

My curiosity wants to know where that dealership is. St. Louis perhaps?

TDIJetta99 · Mar 26, 2009

haha probably... I bet I know who's shop they are going to as well.

oilhammer · Mar 27, 2009

That would be me.

Actually, they are sitting on OUR shelf, unpaid for until used (we worked out a deal with our local dealer for consignment...as we spend a LOT with them every month). We have done the same for skidplates and other items.

Hehe, at least the VW parts system keeps track of things. Because that figure of seven is in fact correct, I have seven right here on the shelf at my feet. And a whole drawer full of the related gears, bolts, etc.

thebaz67 · Mar 27, 2009

I can't wait till April 10th so one of those 7 can be in my Passat.

I am getting paranoid about my car... It seems to taunt me with new noises everyday

. I hope it makes it to St Louis.

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