BHW balance shaft upgrade weekend

[oilhammer]

OK, I am back up to 2 complete setups and 2 more hopefully will be here later in the week, with several more still on order.

 

[ozpassatwagon05]

oilhammer, what part of VA is Import Auto Works located at? Do you have an address or website or number for them?

I have an 05 Passat Wagon TDI w/76K no noises to report yet... but just in case that i do start having this problem i would like a place within the state to go to before i have to do the pilgrimage to MO. the only problem mine has is that shudder that happens during acceleration... im used to it now soon it might just break whatever causes that so that my extended warranty can fix that too...

thanks

 

[DasRaven]

Ask and thou shall recieve! Wild Rose Motors, Ltd. would be glad to perform these BS assy. fixes. I have many, many BHW customer dealership sales jackets I could go through to notify current owners of this issue. Some may result in opening a can of worms because of recent TB assys. being performed but, *** can ya do, eh? Some may attempt to dump the car upon this notification so, we can only hope that VOA steps up to the plate and rectifies this very serious issue. Please let me reiterate that everyone involved needs to file a NHTSA claim and obtain a case number.

I will give it a bit of time to let the wonderful research and action Brian and Glen has performed to date in order to perfect the process but, all in all, count me in here as a left coast go to. Later!

"Well hello beautiful." 500m is definitely better than the 1500m I was planning to log going to oilhammer's shop. I've contacted the Phoenix area TDI shops to alert them to this need and they are also watching the forum to perhaps take on some West Coast BS upgrades.

 

[oilhammer]

Just got some more modules in, still waiting on some bolts and one gear, then I will have a total of 6 sets ready to go.

Although, this is still quite useless without the bolts...of which I am still waiting for 16

 

[mwalters]

Just got some more modules in, still waiting on some bolts and one gear, then I will have a total of 6 sets ready to go.

Although, this is still quite useless without the bolts...of which I am still waiting for 16

Wow - That's quite an investment in parts. I'm sure you can use them up though. Thanks to all who figured this mess out!

 

[oilhammer]

Wow - That's quite an investment in parts. I'm sure you can use them up though. Thanks to all who figured this mess out!

Our shop spent $14k at the VW dealer last month.

 

[senez]

I'm still torn on whether to fix the car or blow it up with dynamite or trade it in.

 

[aja8888]

I'm still torn on whether to fix the car or blow it up with dynamite or trade it in.

You won't get much on any trade in, but then again, you can pick up a *new* leftover 2008 Chevy Suburban for a really good price....

 

[senez]

I'd get enough. I'm gonna lose 3k if I keep it.

But it doesn't matter, because there's no car out there that WON'T lose money.

 

[aja8888]

I'd get enough. I'm gonna lose 3k if I keep it.

But it doesn't matter, because there's no car out there that WON'T lose money.

Agreed. Buying a new car has instant depreciation built into the sale so you will "lose" 20 - 30% right off the bat. Unless you hate the Passat, it makes sense to fix it and drive it another 100K. Like OH says, there are lots of cars out there that have high maintenance events. My neighbor just paid $900 to have a catalytic converter put on his Chevy Impala. That was after a $500 ingintion module replacement. And his Impala has about 70K on it.

I'm keeping mine until my wife gets sick of it, and that does not appear to be happening.

 

[senez]

Ha. Your neighbor's a sucker. That Impala's only worth about $900.

I agree with you on all counts. The only thing that adds cost to this is time...there's no where around here that does this procedure and to go all the way to Oilhammer would cost well over the cost of the procedure (hotel, food, fuel, time).

It's not being driven much...thankfully we have another vehicle we can drive until I figure out what I want to do. But do we REALLY know how durable these engines are? That's another question. PDs are incredibly sensitive, even given correct oil usage.

 

[aja8888]

My neighbor's wife likes (and drives) the Impala. A replacement car is not in the cards for them with two kids in college and his wife lost her management job at Sprint recently.

As far as finding a shop to do the BS changeout, if you look around in NC, I'm sure one will be able to handle it. I found a few shops here (Houston area) that I would be comfortable with doing the work, although I am going to have a Guru out of Fort Worth do it.

Yes, these PD's are sensitive with respect to oil and camshaft wear, but "you get what you pay for" with these cars. Our other car is a 2005 Hyundai XG350L (top of the line in 2005). It has 83K on it and the only unscheduled maintenance done so far was a $85 fuel temerature sensor replacement. What a pleasant surprise this car has been.

There are alternatives to these German wonder machines, but it is all about your particular style and needs when it comes down to transportation.

 

[senez]

Yeah, I was kidding about the Impala. A car's true worth is defined by the owner. I've got a shop I need to ask about it that I haven't done yet.

 

[aja8888]

I think you will be surprised when you inquire with a few good shops. Especially since MOGolf and OH have put together the pdf file of instructions. Remember, they MUST have the correct tools and the TBelt needs to be removed and all that is associated with its going back together right.

 

[senez]

Yeah, the shop I'm going to talk to has done several TB jobs on PDs. It would be the other tools I'd be concerned about.

 

[aja8888]

Agreed, but the tools are specified and available. Should not be a big deal.

 

[Lug_Nut]

...to go all the way to Oilhammer would cost well over the cost of the procedure (hotel, food, fuel, time).

Hey, OilHammer, Raise his price so that the incidentals will be less!

my estimate:
2400 miles, 4 tanks of fuel, 60 gallons at $2.75: $165
Dollar menu for 3~4 days: $25~30
two nights motel: $100
Estimated expenditure: $300

Granted that does not include at least one day of vacation time or $328 in lost income to make a long weekend, nor the value of a two day weekend, but dollars out the wallet is 10% of the service and I'm at "use it or lose it" with vacation time anyway.

 

[senez]

Hey, OilHammer, Raise his price so that the incidentals will be less!

Oh, wow, I hate it when my keyboard makes mistakes like that!

Yeah, the procedure definitely outpaces the trip. I don't know what the hell I was trying to say there. Probably something to the effect of trading it in is so much easier compared with setting everything up to to go Oilhammer.

Not to mention what happens if it craps out in Kentucky. Then I'm really screwed.

 

[oilhammer]

You guys are funny...I had a Jetta in here yesterday with ALASKA plates.

Seriously though, the trip you make to get the job done correctly if needed, wherever that may take you, will be easily forgotten. I usually remember the fun parts of my long road trips, and the sights along the way and the people you meet. Never remember the "oh man it took forever I hated that long boring drive through [insert state here]".

I have driven non-stop to/from Florida more times than I can remember, 4 non-stop round trips to Texas, one to Connecticut, one to Washington state, a few to the northern Ohio area, and lots and lots of others. It is the 'Volkswagen' in the equation that makes the trips so painless. Or in this case, perhaps so painful. Bittersweet?

Besides, Lug Nut already agreed via PM to take everyone who shows up in a B5 out for a really nice dinner Saturday night.

 

[senez]

I wonder if my car decided to quit on me halfway there, if I rubbed the busted oil pan, would OH show up to rescue me?

 

[oilhammer]

LOL....well I do have a tow dolly and my trusty T3.

 

[Sprocket]

OH, do you have room for 1 more that weekend?

 

[oilhammer]

OH, do you have room for 1 more that weekend?

Room? Yes. Parts? No. Time? Unlikely. And you would be about #15 on that list of standbys.

I can schedule these almost any time, but the parts chain is going to be the determining factor.

Right now I have enough for 2, and most of the parts for 4 more, which I fully expect to be here before then.

I only have ONE confirmed attendee who has called the shop and given formal information to be loaded into our system (see first post of this thread: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=230060 )

 

[Lug_Nut]

Besides, Lug Nut already agreed via PM to take everyone who shows up in a B5 out for a really nice dinner Saturday night.

Great! Now I need to budget $45 for dollar menu! Ketchup packs for dessert!

... but the parts chain is going to be the determining factor.

If it's not the chain part, blame the parts chain....

 

[MOGolf]

I know of one 'guru' in the east who is willing to have me show/teach how this is done. Once he goes through/sees this procedure, then he'll decide if he wants to do more. If that works out, there will be someone closer to those drivers. Unknown timeframe for the teaching session.

I also know that at least one dealer in MD is considering this. Yes, dealers also try to figure out if it is worth their time to invest in doing these. An 8 hour repair is a long time for a car to be in a shop, when they could be repairing a lot of other cars during that time.

 

[oilhammer]

I need the remaining people on my list to please call and confirm as Lug Nut did.

 

[oilhammer]

As of right now, I am still waiting on these stupid bolts. I need 12 more minimum. The latest news, today 1-22-09 is that the estimated delivery time to the NJ warehouse is 3-17-09 . There are 61 of them on backorder (how that extra 1 got there I have no idea, as 4 per car are req'd).

This is a fairly specialized little bolt, and if anyone reading this has any ideas please feel free to throw them out.

Here are the specs on the bolt:

7mm x 1.0 thread, total length (with hex head) 23mm, 18mm length of threaded portion, and they have a little captive washer under the head, about 1-2mm thick and 14mm across. They are marked 10.9 as the hardness rating. They look like what VW uses in many transmissions.

 

[oilhammer]

Dealer just called back....man there is a SEVERE issue with Volkswagen getting parts here for these cars. Seriously, this is really F'd up.

There are backorders popping up now all over the country. And my list of people waiting grows daily.

 

[leicaman]

I am assuming these are use once type of bolts to boot, right?

 

[oilhammer]

Well probably, but these are bolts that are different than the chain system, so we do not even have the option of resuse.