Hi

So after a few visits to VW for a persistent noise from NSF, VW they finally got there acts together and traced the problem to bits of metal in the gears and bearings!! Thank god it was still under warranty!! So they fitted a new box and its fixed the problem!

Anyone hazard a guess to as how much it would have cost me if it had been out of warranty? 

Rich 

richwig83:

Anyone hazard a guess to as how much it would have cost me if it had been out of warranty? 

It wouldn't surprise me if the stealers were to charge £5k for the job!

But i reckon your probably looking at least £2k for a new gearbox? Someone else can probably give you a more accurate answer though

Have you had the car from new? Swarf in the gearbox is not uncommon at all on a new car, but it's generally why you have all the oil changed after the first few thousand miles.

Rich, Can you describe the noise you had and how it changed with speed etc? I've got a noise, which has been put down to tyres, but you've got me worried now, especially with only 2 weeks warrantee left!  

Did you have any other symptoms, other than the noise?

Hmm its a hard one too describe... It only happened on my when turning left (close to or at full left lock) at low speed (1st or 2nd gear, using no gas just tick over rpm to pull it along). It was a metal on metal sound tho,  couldnt really hear it going faster!

I dont think there were any other symptoms apart from maybe a little vibration thru the steering wheel!

At what speed does your noise occur? Ive just had my rear tyres replaced which has cured bad tyre noise, in particularly at 55mph!!

My noise is worst between 30 and 40, but it's there at higher speed too. Pretty sure it is due to stepped wear of the back tyres (50p effect) caused by miss-alignment of the rear suspension. Dealer says that wheel alignment is only covered for the first 6 months and a 4 wheel alignment costs £65! I'm going to try for a "good will" gesture of 50% of the cost of 2 tyres and the alignment, less a bit for the fact that the tyres are 50% worn. Don't know what my chances are though.

Thing is, I've never even bumped the back wheels against anything and I know that new alignment figures were issued around November 2005, a couple of months after my car was built. What was that for? A quick trawl of the internet throws up loads of cases of this noise problem, with varying response from dealers. Just another case of VW avoiding a costly recall IMO.

 mate if u have two weeks of warrenty left...on monday morning ring up and book it in...if the problem is logged before the warrenty time runs out they will still carry the work out under warrenty...cheapest phonecall you may ever make

 Don't worry, the dealer has been well aware of the problem for a while. They are now prepared to do a 4-wheel alignment for £20, but I'll still need to buy 2 new tyres. Thing is, the car is otherwise perfect after 3 years and 36K, so I'll probably go for it. The dealer has just swapped the wheel caps and boot lid badge/opener without any trouble, so it's really down to VW on the tyre noise, and I don't feel prepared to take them on, even though I think it's their problem.

I had my wheel caps and boot opener replaced too... however the new boot opener isnt as good as the old one!! Teh old one was nice and smooth and lacquered, the new one isnt :-(

 Funny - I like the look of my new one better, but the return movement isn't the smooth VW damped one, just a spring loaded clunk. I'm sure this one won't get the worm like the old one!