Second Bad Clock Spring

[Mass. Wine Guy]

The other day my wife mentioned that her Golf’s horn and steering wheel controls for phone, etc. stopped working. I’m sure it’s the clock spring. VW sent us a notice a year or two ago about this part, offering a free replacement, which we got at a local dealer.

These really shouldn’t break, especially so often. Do I contact VW and insist they take care of it? Or what?

Thanks.

 

[Cuzoe]

Yes, make them replace it. Even without the known issue that prompted the notice you received... I thought parts installed by the dealer service center were covered for 2 years? The clockspring isn't a wear item. And given the known issue you should go right back to them.

If you want to get into it yourself... there's this. For the record, I'm legitimately not recommending you get into this yourself. Dealer you went to for the replacement should cover it.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

Yes! Thanks so much. It should be covered by either the two year part warranty or the original notice. I’m well under the 120,000 mile limit. I just really dislike going to dealers. But I’m not a DIY person.

 

[Nuje]

If the dealer won't cover the part cost, (a) scream and yell; and if that doesn't work, (b) give me a shout - I have a one sitting here (see aforelinked retrofit thread that @Cuzoe mentioned for how that came to be. )

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

I’d be glad to but then what do I do with the part?

 

[Nuje]

Pop the steering wheel off, replace the defective one.
If you've never taken a VW airbag off before, it can be a little frustrating - just watch a few Youtube videos to get a sense of how-to. Once the airbag is off, it's a M12 XZN bit to remove the steering wheel itself, pop off some plastic trim, and then the clockspring is right there. Just some clips and cable connectors.
Like Cuzoe said, you should *NOT* go this route because the dealer should take care of everything for you. But if need be...

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

There is totally no way that I would try this myself. I’m a man, yes. But I have the mechanical skills of a rock.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

Dealer told me clock springs are the no. 1 back-ordered part.

Is it available from non-VW sources?

 

[Nuje]

Is it available from non-VW sources?

Ahem....

 

[Nuje]

But seriously: I'd actually ordered a clockspring for my heated steering wheel (5Q0953569C) from the dealer...only one in North America, and it would ship from Los Angeles (I'm on west coast of Canada). So, I wait a couple weeks and some for that to show up, and when I get it, this is the box:

but alas....this is what was inside (that's what came on our cars).

So - unless that sold, there might be a dealer up here in Canada who has one.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

I looked and there seems to be plenty of OEM parts on numerous sites. I’m pretty sure VW reimburses owners who pay to replace it.

Then again, if VW is back ordered, everybody is.

Update: Through some amazing quirk, the parts department had a clock spring for my car. I checked with them yesterday and was told they’d need to order it. My mechanic said it’s a poorly designed part, so I hope this one lasts a little while.

 

[Cuzoe]

It certainly seems that VW switched away from the 569x part numbers (seems as though there were problems with them at some point).

The 549x part numbers are cheaper and available. They are compatible with our cars but it would also mean VW would need to replace a bracket on the steering column (cheap, under $10) and the signal/wiper stalks (not as cheap, about $150).

It might be in VW's financial interest to to replace failed 569s with 549s (even with the other required parts), especially if the alternative is keeping a customer in loaner or rental while their car sits broken... Thing is from what I can tell the only 549s out there are for heated steering wheels. Obviously VW isn't going to add that feature to anybody's car so they can leave that wiring not installed. The issue is it requires some wiring changes, as mentioned in @Nuje's thread and I bet VW doesn't trust their service centers to do that, simple though it may be.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

The service rep told me the mechanic noted some maintenance suggestions on the paperwork. I told him that I’d rather have a rock work on my car than a dealer mechanic. He said this mechanic was one of the best in the country.

The suggestions were a brake flush, coolant flush, air and fuel filters. All for obscenely high prices. If the mechanic was so good, he should’ve known what the maintenance interval was for my car. He couldn’t have known when it was done last. And why would you flush the coolant?

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

And why would you flush the coolant?

Because they get to charge you for doing it.

 

[Cuzoe]

Because they get to charge you for doing it.

That's the only reason I would flush the coolant too. I'm certainly not going to do it for free .

 

[Nuje]

Brake fluid flush interval is every 2yrs - so that's reasonable.
But air filter (60K miles...and literally takes less than five minutes) and coolant (130K miles (?) - when you're doing the timing belt I guess; VW doesn't specify change interval)...that's just gouging.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

This was a coolant flush, not brake fluid. To my knowledge a coolant flush has no service interval on TDIs. I don't think I've ever flushed the coolant in my ALH, just replaced what gets lost in a timing belt change.

 

[Nuje]

Yeah - that's kinda the point I was making as well. Replacing the couple litres that gets spilled every time you do a TB change has always served me well.