Flywheel/clutch judder on a low mileage light use VW Transporter van?!

martco

ok so its ask the internet time

I have a dreaded intermittent problem - you know the type of one that makes a liar out of you when you bring your van in to VW to hopefully get it sorted under a warranty repair but then bloody vanishes when you are driving the service manager from MSL around - only to come back later that afternoon and everyday since just like it usually does?!?

The van is a standard 2WD T5 highline model with 5 speed gearbox born registered Jan 2014 and has currently just short of 25k miles done. It came to me as a nearly new demonstrator from VW with 9k miles on, so virtually unmarked and in my ownership has also had very light use (I'm an IT contractor and it's really for cheap motorway mileage and bikes at weekend and carrying odds and bods but nowt heavy) serviced twice now and never had so much as a kerbing incident in my ownership.

About 6 months ago I noticed what I'd describe as a judder coming in sometimes when I was pulling away in 1st as I'm changing into 2nd and into 3rd. Happening on a daily basis now.
I would say when it feels at its choppiest when declutching into 1st and getting less choppy thru 2nd and 3rd.
I let it slide for a couple of months as I'm busy working etc but its happening more often and it has gotten worse, there are times when changing into 2nd I feel I have to back off and try again which I do

In my own experience I'd have banked on it being a flywheel issue but the low mileage and easy life the van has had bothers me as does the intermittent nature of the problem - and on that score I've tried to relate it to some pattern but I can't find one…except to say it doesn't appear to be related to operating temp (can happen from a cold start in morning as much as 2 hours into a drive), does feel more pronounced if I happen to be pulling away up a hill, never happens when changing down gears and when it happens it always happens for 1st/2nd/3rd in a row (as in I don't ever get a judder in 1st pulling away but then goes away/a perfect engagement into 2nd, 3rd) Driving along feels perfect like it should.

The real problem for me is this - the MSL fella is telling me that given the problem is intermittent/not obvious to him nor observed & diagnosed by him as yet IF I get them to guess at say the clutch+flywheel and it turns out not to be the source of the problem I'll end up being liable for the costs?! (ok I appreciate why in a way as I know how much work is involved in doing a flywheel but at the moment it all leaves me feeling a wee bit stranded)

What I'm asking for is a bit of advice from those in the know - would a judder when feeding in gears per my description always be down to clutch/flywheel or could it be something else in the drivetrain? I thought myself that a flywheel issue would just be there, not showing up and going away a few times a day….I had a flywheel fail on a 2.0 diesel Touran once and it just was there all the time for the couple of weeks before it went bang. What about the fact the van has so low mileage and light/normal use, could a clutch or flywheel fail inside its first 20k miles??
My driving style is nothing to do with this, I'm 46 and driven smoothly in all sorts over the years from vans to nicer hardware like an RS2

My warranty is nearly up so I really need help to get it sorted

thanks for any help/thoughts

landmarkjohn

I would have thought you need to go back to the garage ASAP and get them to diagnose the issue. This thing about garage charging you if it's not the flywheel/clutch assembly sounds like a nonsense, a scare tactic to send you away until warranty expires after which they will be delighted to take your van and throw any amount of new parts into it to fix it.

Sounds like you have only been back to MSL once so far. Go back and impress upon the Service Manager that you don't want to be the guy that hassles him with a faulty van under warranty but that there is definately and issue with it which has been getting progressively worse and you need it sorting.

In my experience (I'm not a mechanic) judder in the drivetrain is sometimes worse or sometimes only present from cold start so maybe leave van at garage overnight and bring Service Manager for a test drive in the morning (not always easy to organise I'm sure). Good luck.

megafan

Presume your van may have a duel mass flywheel clutch so may cost a bit to replace... whatever problem hard to guess what issue maybe here (Flywheel breaking up/oil on clutch?)... though would think all parts should be under warranty for such a new van... even though showroom van & you may be officially 2nd owner would guess full manufactures warranty passes on to you (has with me buying 2nd hand cars?)

martco

@landmarkjohn
@megafan

yep, I know what they are up to here with the warranty but the van behaving like it did when I brought yer man out on the road was a sickener and threw me right off course, I just could not in the 20 mins I was with him reproduce the problem?!? I won't let it go though, no way I'm going to allow myself to end up with the problem!

I'll be back into them week after next, I've arranged alternative transport to cover myself and they can have the van for as long as it takes.

afaik yes, its a DMF flywheel, I think these days they mostly are. yes I have the normal 2 years manufacturer warranty and it applies to the van not the owner

greasepalm

when the DMF goes it might take gearbox with it.

Car99

Give them the to drive for a day , they can diagnose it, then fix it , at least if they take it and have it on record as a problem before the warranty runs out then they'll have to fix it at their expense.