Volkswagen Nightmare Horror

Gabbatek · 27 Oct 2017 at 20:08

Hey guys. I had the clutch replaced and a new gearbox casing on a v.w passat 2l 2012 4 months ago at the main dealer. No one else has been near the engine.

Today, the car lost all its coolant through a hole in the pipeline. Looking under the hood we can see the engine shaking so bad that the cambelt has been grinding against said hose, also the radiator fan has worn a hole into the turbo inlet hose. This is clearly an engine mount failure, hence the engine moving around so much causing parts to hit other parts.

So, do you think the volkswagen dealership failed to put the engine mount in properly when dropping and repairing the clutch and gearbox, causing it to fail and damage the parts said above?? I'm slightly amazed a 5 year old cars engine mounts could fail.

MissChief · 27 Oct 2017 at 20:32

I would absolutely be insisting the garage make good. It's clearly their hamfisted tech (I wouldn't even call them mechanics any more) who's mucked up somehow.

GeX · 27 Oct 2017 at 20:33

Does the mount look like it was put together wrong? They can and do fail without any help. Which mount was it. Perhaps they stressed it when removing the box. Surprised there was no cover on the belt though, I'd expect it to be fully enclosed.

lordrobs · 27 Oct 2017 at 20:40

GeX said:
Does the mount look like it was put together wrong? They can and do fail without any help. Which mount was it. Perhaps they stressed it when removing the box. Surprised there was no cover on the belt though, I'd expect it to be fully enclosed.

Yeah I think either the OP is confusing it with the alternator belt or something is seriously amiss!

Gabbatek · 27 Oct 2017 at 21:20

Yeah sorry after looking at the car its not the cambelt but the alternator belt. Not too sure what mount it is, but the engine moves forward 3 inches when rev'd so its definitely an engine mount.

Since the clutch was done, the cars done a lot of miles in the 4 months so i think its a general failure and probably not the garage. BUT, what im confused by is why the mot last month didnt pick up the failing mounts

wedrum · 27 Oct 2017 at 21:32

Like you said mounts can and do just fail

GeX · 27 Oct 2017 at 21:32

It might've been fine a month ago, I've had an engine mount be 'fine' and then snap. They're a ware and tear item, don't go all guns blazing wondering who to blame.

Why didn't you notice it before it wore through a pipe?

Gabbatek · 27 Oct 2017 at 21:45

GeX said:
It might've been fine a month ago, I've had an engine mount be 'fine' and then snap. They're a ware and tear item, don't go all guns blazing wondering who to blame.

Why didn't you notice it before it wore through a pipe?

Not my car anymore, sold it a few months back to a friend. She just didn't notice, i think the mount went and the engine moved forward and caused the damage all in one go

Kenai · 27 Oct 2017 at 22:05

Gabbatek said:
. BUT, what im confused by is why the mot last month didnt pick up the failing mounts

MOT doesn't look at engine mounts I don't think, it's an incredibly superficial test in reality, it's far from a comprehensive health check, more of a "is anything so broken the car might kill people in the next year" test.

Gabbatek · 28 Oct 2017 at 19:13

Kenai said:
MOT doesn't look at engine mounts I don't think, it's an incredibly superficial test in reality, it's far from a comprehensive health check, more of a "is anything so broken the car might kill people in the next year" test.

Thing is though, on some cars if the engine mounts fail it can cause catastrophic failure at high speed.

Kenai · 28 Oct 2017 at 19:16

Gabbatek said:
Thing is though, on some cars if the engine mounts fail it can cause catastrophic failure at high speed.

I'm sure it can but regardless, that doesn't change the fact that an MOT is not a comprehensive health check, just a a confirmation of absolute minimum safety standards of parts that typically decline/corrode/etc.

Outcast · 28 Oct 2017 at 19:49

It is possible to shear an engine mounting rubber just by stalling it if it's already weak.

I did just that years ago in a Mk1 Escort. Wet foot slipped off the clutch pedal.

Dangerous Dave · 28 Oct 2017 at 19:55

A lot of the VAG engine mounts use bolts that are one use only stretch bolts and should be replaced when the mount is removed/refitted this is a common omission during timing belt changes which has caused engines to drop. I would check what the failure is with the engine mounts and if the bolts should be replaced during the work that was carried out.

Gabbatek · 4 Nov 2017 at 14:31

Okay so we have had a friends independent garage that specialises in volkswagen/audi look at it.

He says the cause of the problem was the gearbox mount and that one of the bolts was missing causing the other bolt to sheer off.

This then made the engine move and damage the turbo inlet, the coolant hose, the aircon hose, the alternator belt from what they can see.

Seeing as volkswagen were the last people to touch the gearbox when they removed it to put a new casing on it when the clutch went, i'm hoping this is their fault through either not checking the bolts were tight when reinstalling, using old worn bolts or just plainly forgetting to put one of the bolts in.

GeX · 4 Nov 2017 at 19:00

Yeah, for sure - go back to VW with that. A missing bolt will stress the others, and cause it to fail.

Gabbatek · 15 Nov 2017 at 14:48

The plot thickens.

Sooo, theres a hole in the plastic skid plate. They're saying something pierced it DIRECTLY hitting a bolt and bending it, causing the rest to fail and drop the gearbox, i find that very unlikely. Volkswagen tried to say a speed bump did it, but i said there's no scrapes on the plastic plate just a piercing hole. But they are sure that its not their fault as its been 10k miles since the work was done (its still under 2 years workmanship warranty).

As you can see, there is this hole. But there are barely any scratch marks around this hole or along the skid plate at all.

My main garage thinks the gearbox dropped and rubbed its way through and that's why it looks melted and that volkswagen are trying to get out of it. SO and independent engineer is coming tomorrow, his word will be final.

Gabbatek · 15 Nov 2017 at 14:55

Surely a sharp piercing of the plastic plate would cause more damage to the skid plate. Not to mention a loud noise that would have terrified my partner. She is a careful driver, clueless about cars but not an idiot. Also all the square cushions look intact except where the gearbox dropped and rested on them

Orionaut · 15 Nov 2017 at 16:04

Gabbatek said:
The plot thickens.

Sooo, theres a hole in the plastic skid plate. They're saying something pierced it DIRECTLY hitting a bolt and bending it, causing the rest to fail and drop the gearbox, i find that very unlikely. Volkswagen tried to say a speed bump did it, but i said there's no scrapes on the plastic plate just a piercing hole. But they are sure that its not their fault as its been 10k miles since the work was done (its still under 2 years workmanship warranty).

As you can see, there is this hole. But there are barely any scratch marks around this hole or along the skid plate at all.

My main garage thinks the gearbox dropped and rubbed its way through and that's why it looks melted and that volkswagen are trying to get out of it. SO and independent engineer is coming tomorrow, his word will be final.

Are you sure this isnt old damage?

What was the reason for the clutch/gearbox casing replacement?

I have seen failed DMF flywheels on VAG cars melt holes through the gearbox casings dropping molten alloy onto the under-shield before. at first look, this does look a bit like whats happened here

Gabbatek · 15 Nov 2017 at 16:24

Thanks for the reply. The first problem was from the pressure plate spring failing on the clutch, which broke some other clutch related stuff and scored/cut into the gearbox casing.
Back then i had 3rd party warranty cover, luckily they covered a new clutch kit but being cheap they had a new gearbox casing with the old internals instead if new. They also said the flywheel was 'serviceable'

But, i think they'll hold to something like a stick stabbing through it.

I just hope the engineer understands that even if that was true, it wouldn't dismount the gearbox and if it did it would destroy the gearbox right there and then. plus the hole looks like its burnt, which the garage dismissed as 'that's how the plastic stretches'

My partner only realised something was wrong after the car had dumped all its coolant.

GeX · 15 Nov 2017 at 19:19

Looks like they cut a whole in it to access the mount instead of removing the undertray :eek: