JETTA FLYWHEEL AND CLUTCH PROBLEM!!! HELP!!! Transmission

va_reman

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2006
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI Package 2
$2,000 is alot. I would not spend a dime on a OEM replacement, go for a VR6 clutch and find a good local tdi guru to do it, should be no more than a grand. I have had three dealer clutch replacements and not one did I pay for...! There is no guarantee that the OEM clutch wont fail again.

The location is important so one of us could help guide you to the nearest guru. If the dealer replace it for free then great I would have the dealer do it and then keep in the back of mind that every month afterwards that you'll want to put some money away for a better aftermarket clutch that wont fail. All depending on the time you wish to keep your car. That my opinion.
 

TDIwant2be

Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Location
canada
TDI
2006 Jetta
va_reman said:
$2,000 is alot. I would not spend a dime on a OEM replacement, go for a VR6 clutch and find a good local tdi guru to do it, should be no more than a grand. I have had three dealer clutch replacements and not one did I pay for...! There is no guarantee that the OEM clutch wont fail again.

The location is important so one of us could help guide you to the nearest guru. If the dealer replace it for free then great I would have the dealer do it and then keep in the back of mind that every month afterwards that you'll want to put some money away for a better aftermarket clutch that wont fail. All depending on the time you wish to keep your car. That my opinion.
I'm on Vancouver Island, about 30 minutes north of Victoria. My car is still at the dealer and on Monday, they would look at the clutch.

Also, how do I find out whether or not it will be covered under warranty, because it will be too late to change my mind if they tear everything apart.
Found some info on the VR6 clutch - it then needs a different flywheel too - right?
 
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TwoTone

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2005
Location
DMV
TDI
05.5 Jetta (sold)
TDIwant2be said:
Also, how do I find out whether or not it will be covered under warranty, because it will be too late to change my mind if they tear everything apart.Found some info on the VR6 clutch - it then needs a different flywheel too - right?
That's the gamble and why I suggest against trying for warranty, because if they say no, what are you going to do, pay them and tow it somewhere else?

If they say it's not warranty, then I would tell them you want to supply the parts and buy the VR6 set and have them put that in.
 

Mach1

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Location
Spicewood, Tx.
TDI
05.5 Jetta 5 spd, 06 Jetta DE DSG, 04 F250 6L, 2000 F250 7.3L
Its the DMFlwheel that is defective, so you need a new flywheel either way..
 

TDIwant2be

Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Location
canada
TDI
2006 Jetta
TDIwant2be said:
Hello folks,

I too am being haunted by this. 2006 Jetta TDI - 65k km, my vin would fall under the TSB. Brought it to the dealer because of the weird noise when idling and strong vibration when engine labors (especially going uphill). Started off mildly but then things got worse. I experienced a sudden change in pedal action about 3 times but that suddenly went away.
Vibration can be easily felt when pressing the clutch just a tad when going around 2000rpm.
I'm not very car parts savy. This topic has helped me a lot in my correspondance with the dealer, who at first wanted me to pay for a new clutch (around can$2000+tax) since there was clutching material on the flywheel. I was so shocked to hear this I told him I wanted to think about it. I then started investigating the issue and found this forum. There is no way the clutch went because of my driving habits. I am a very conservative driver, hence my choice of fuel efficient vehicle. I do mostly highway.
Then I call back the dealer and I was told they needed to take a closer look for which they needed my authorization. I mentioned the TSB, and the inspection window where you can tell apart the LUK vs. Sachs P-Plate and I was informed that it was a LUK. Still dealer thinks it *may* be a warranty issue and wanted to go ahead and take the clutch out to figure out what is going on. I asked for all parts to be kept and I hope that I didn't pee them off to much because of my persistence. I am scared to be told on Monday that I will have to cough up the dough.

I'm wondering if anybody here has had a LUK DMF go bad and whether this was covered under warranty since it does not fall under the Sachs TSB.
Just got my car back - apparently it was the flywheel which leaked fluid. Work order shows that flywheel, clutch, pressure plate and some bolts were replaced - everything under warranty :)

thanks to this thread, I was able to quickly educate myself and get my lingo right when talking to the dealer - that was very helpful

good link here
 

va_reman

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2006
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI Package 2
Hey you did all the work just keep in the back of your mind that it is another OEM product that has been prone to problems so maybe keep alittle from the tax return in your savings for another clutch when the time comes. Great to hear that.
 

bee-rad

New member
Joined
May 1, 2009
Location
Vancouver, Canada
TDI
2006 Jetta


I think my DMF is coming apart but for those that have gone through this before, does the video bring back memories?. The noise has become so obvious now that I am taking it in on Monday. Clutch has yet to slip...
 

dsmith1279

Active member
Joined
Nov 15, 2007
Location
Oklahoma
TDI
None......Yet???
Add me to the list as well. DMF let loose on Thursday, 4-31-09, evening. Bee-Rad, that is all to familiar and sounds like fingernails on a chalk board!

I've got the clutch ordered through Bleached Bora and am planning on getting it out in my shop today to start the disassembly. I highly recommend Bleached Bora. He was very competitevly priced, knew his stuff and was easy to work with.
 

CJS02

Active member
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Location
Michigan
TDI
2002 Jetta
02 Jetta

I'm in the process of swapping an automatic for a manual trans in my '02 Jetta. I was going to replace the clutch and pressure plate and resurface the flywheel, until I found out about the dual mass flywheel. Is the an after market flywheel that is not dual mass? A local supply house said that VW created this flywheel to reduce vibration. If that's the reason, I can put up with a little extra vibration in exchange for durability, any thoughts?
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
CJS02 said:
I'm in the process of swapping an automatic for a manual trans in my '02 Jetta. I was going to replace the clutch and pressure plate and resurface the flywheel, until I found out about the dual mass flywheel. Is the an after market flywheel that is not dual mass? A local supply house said that VW created this flywheel to reduce vibration. If that's the reason, I can put up with a little extra vibration in exchange for durability, any thoughts?
Search around here and go to some of the vendor sites here. You are looking for SMF (Single mass flywheel) instead. Lots here have changed to these. Some vendors here sell the set as a kit with everything you need. Good luck!
 

dsmith1279

Active member
Joined
Nov 15, 2007
Location
Oklahoma
TDI
None......Yet???
Use the DMF if you want to redo the whole shooting match in 75-100K miles. Not sure of your other mods, but from what I have gathered you need a single mass flywheel that is roughly the same wt. as the DMF, 22lbs. Call up Aaron @ Bleached Bora 801-762-6106, or Peter @ TDI parts, and they can walk you through what you need. If you go with a lighter fly wheel you will get chatter while the clutch is in or in neutral. Your call. Also, not sure if it is the same for an O2, but on the A5 the tranny mount bolts are stretch torque single time use jobbies. You might also want to put in a new crankshaft seal since you have all that out of the way. Again, your call.
 

CJS02

Active member
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Location
Michigan
TDI
2002 Jetta
Thanks, I found a conversion kit from Valeo with Flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, release bearing, and all bolts for about a hundred bucks less than the cost of a new DM flywheel. Yes, I'm going to do the seal also. I appreciate the insite. Thanks again.
 

bee-rad

New member
Joined
May 1, 2009
Location
Vancouver, Canada
TDI
2006 Jetta
Well the dealer had a chance to look the car over and take the transmission out. Guess what... a DMF failure which they are covering under powertrain warranty (at 97,500kms). The new DMF flywheel is a LUK and the original clutch is a Sachs. The Service bulletin specifically states not to mix the two brands up, so now the dealer wants me to pony up $650 to buy a new OEM LUK clutch. The origianl clutch has never slipped and it admittedly has normal wear for the given miles on the vehicle. Why should I have to pay for a new clutch?? What a fricken Joke! If the part they supply to fix their faulty component causes a conflict with existing components that came factory with the vehicle, should their repair to meet the warranty requirements not cover all affected components?

Curious to hear what others faced in this situation.
 

bee-rad

New member
Joined
May 1, 2009
Location
Vancouver, Canada
TDI
2006 Jetta
bee-rad said:
Well the dealer had a chance to look the car over and take the transmission out. Guess what... a DMF failure which they are covering under powertrain warranty (at 97,500kms). The new DMF flywheel is a LUK and the original clutch is a Sachs. The Service bulletin specifically states not to mix the two brands up, so now the dealer wants me to pony up $650 to buy a new OEM LUK clutch. The origianl clutch has never slipped and it admittedly has normal wear for the given miles on the vehicle. Why should I have to pay for a new clutch?? What a fricken Joke! If the part they supply to fix their faulty component causes a conflict with existing components that came factory with the vehicle, should their repair to meet the warranty requirements not cover all affected components?

Curious to hear what others faced in this situation.
Well I guess holding my ground makes all the difference. Got a call from the shop and they are including the clutch in with the warranty. Happy to hear that...
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
I thought about waiting out the warranty on mine, but nah, I can't imagine waiting for the DMF to fail and then having the dealer possibly screw up my car putting another lame DMF in my car.

I'm just over 50K and I just put in a DC SMF stage 1 with a 17 Lb flywheel from BoraParts.

Wow, what a difference. If I had it all to do again, I would have put the DC in right after I bought the car. I can now feather the clutch on hills and the car is not prone to shuddering and stalling from a stop Like the DMF was.

Plus I came up with a tweak that cures the low petal height that some have had when going to SMF. Aaron is going to evaluate my tweak, and most likely include it in future kits for TDI A5s........................
 

dhdenney

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Location
Kentucky
TDI
2012 Audi A3 TDI Ibis white
I'm over 91K now and I've decided I'm definitely doing SMF when I do my TB at 100K.
 

va_reman

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2006
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI Package 2
dhdenney said:
I'm over 91K now and I've decided I'm definitely doing SMF when I do my TB at 100K.
Wow you got alot of miles as I also have an 06 and I am at 70,000 and I thought that was alot.
 

A5INKY

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Sep 4, 2007
Location
Louisville, KY
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI, 2002 Eurovan Westphalia VR6
102K miles and just had second DMF failure. Dealer replaced flywheel and clutch at 55K with OEM DMF setup. 14lb. SMF Sachs from Bora Parts going in now.

Low pedal issue in MKVs ??? Aaron at Bora Parts didn't mention anything about it. What is the "tweak?"
 

hutchman

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2005
Location
Virginia
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI Pkg 1, 5 Spd, Graphite Blue / 2002 Jetta GLS, Black w/tan leather
Got about 40k miles on my SMF G60/VR6 Sachs setup. I think the rattle problem has been solved in the newer kits. Mine rattles in neutral with the clutch out but it isn't too bad. Well worth it to not have to wonder if your DMF is going to fail again.
 

hid3

Banned
Joined
Apr 28, 2007
Location
Lithuania, Vilnius
TDI
Golf V 1.9 TDI-PD 105 HP
hutchman said:
Got about 40k miles on my SMF G60/VR6 Sachs setup. I think the rattle problem has been solved in the newer kits. Mine rattles in neutral with the clutch out but it isn't too bad. Well worth it to not have to wonder if your DMF is going to fail again.
My DMF also rattles at idle when in neutral. I guess it's failing. Why should I spend money and switch to SMF if that rattle remains? I can have the same rattle for 0$ with my failing DMF now...
 

hutchman

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2005
Location
Virginia
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI Pkg 1, 5 Spd, Graphite Blue / 2002 Jetta GLS, Black w/tan leather
jerry_m said:
My DMF also rattles at idle when in neutral. I guess it's failing. Why should I spend money and switch to SMF if that rattle remains? I can have the same rattle for 0$ with my failing DMF now...
Some people on here let the dealer replace their DMF under warranty and now their second DMF has failed. Homie didn't want to play that game so I did a SMF and gave the receipt to my dealer while under warranty and they gave me a check for the parts as it was way less than what it would cost VWoA to replace on their dime. I think I got $400.

A few people on the thread were able to do that and so I tired and they paid!
 

AD5GB

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2006
Location
Brighton, TN
TDI
2006 Jetta (Pkg 1)
jerry_m said:
My DMF also rattles at idle when in neutral. I guess it's failing. Why should I spend money and switch to SMF if that rattle remains? I can have the same rattle for 0$ with my failing DMF now...
When a DMF switches from "rattle mode" to "failure mode", it becomes a grenade potentially taking the transmission and even the engine along with it. The additional rattle that people are talking about when switching to an SMF is produced by the gear train in the transmission. Nothing to get excited about. The rattle produced by a failing DMF not only sounds much different, but is a sign of impending doom.
 

AD5GB

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2006
Location
Brighton, TN
TDI
2006 Jetta (Pkg 1)
jerry_m said:
How do I know when I should replace my rattling DMF? I mean, what are symptoms of "failure mode" of the DMF?
In my case I had a very slight bit of gear train rattle with the car in neutral and the clutch out. Pressing the clutch in stopped this noise. With the DMF it was barely indistinguisable over the normal diesel clatter. (unless I was in a bank or fast food drive in; then it echoed a bit off of the wall ) But this was a very steady, smooth sound, much like the sound of the diesel itself. Very even. When my DMF started to fail (I also noticed this in a drive-thru) the noise was louder and non-rhythmical. Almost random and intermittent at first. I got home, drove the car up on ramps, took off the belly plate and started it up. I set the parking brake and put it in neutral and crawled under the car. A very distuingishable noise eminated from the bell housing area, much louder than the gear train "hash" and again, intermittent and non-rhythmical. Having read other posts regarding this problem I needed to look no further and ordered a kit from BleachedBora.

If you're not sure or not confident you can check this out yourself, find a local TDI guru in your area.

Good luck!
 

TwoTone

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2005
Location
DMV
TDI
05.5 Jetta (sold)
jerry_m said:
How do I know when I should replace my rattling DMF? I mean, what are symptoms of "failure mode" of the DMF?
There is a small inspection plate you can take off, mine was covered in the grease that was leaking out of the DMF.
 

hutchman

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2005
Location
Virginia
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI Pkg 1, 5 Spd, Graphite Blue / 2002 Jetta GLS, Black w/tan leather
Mine actually never "failed" but was acting funny and when I checked the grease was thrown everywhere. Really fun to clean up! I think I had it from head to toe.
 

AD5GB

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2006
Location
Brighton, TN
TDI
2006 Jetta (Pkg 1)
TwoTone said:
There is a small inspection plate you can take off, mine was covered in the grease that was leaking out of the DMF.
+1
I on the other hand did not take the time to take this step. It is however a simple and worthwhile step to take since it seems that nearly all failing DMF's leak heavy oil when they begin to fail. In my case, the sound alone was enough for me. TwoTone took the extra time to pull the inspection cover... possibly a better choice than my "brute force" thinking of "if it rattles out-of-synch" with the power pulses of the engine, get rid of it... but then I'm a bit short of tolerance and patience these days! :cool: T.T. has a good point though and a good search will tell you all you need to know as to how to find the inspection cover, and what to look for.
Me on the other-hand; after hearing that DMF knock and ordering the kit from BB, I intend to be ready (with 1/2 case of brake cleaner to clean the grease T.T. mentioned) to run to 100K after the clutch R&R.... probably to find that I'm also a victim of the prestigious camshaft failure so talked about on this forum. But I digress.......
 
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