What the H**L is wrong with my car!

[oobster]

Folks,

Got a 2010 Octy VRS Hatch with the DSG box. Also have 19" wheels fitted and coilovers.

Hit a pothole back in early Jan, but didn't appear to have any problems at the time.

Several (4+) weeks later I start to feel a vibration through the floor, as well as a 'tightness' that I struggle to describe, like something on the drivetrain was a little dry, needed lubricating. Also had a slight "woooo" when travelling at motorway speeds. Also felt like there was a 'bobbling' feeling coming from the tyres.

Decided for quickness to use my local VW garage which is literally 2 mins from my house instead of using the nearest Skoda garage (can't say I have been impressed with their attitude when I have spoken to their service department a couple of times) and instead of using the Skoda garage I bought the car from as they are a little too far away, in the opposite direction to my place of employment and since I work slightly longer than normal shifts it would have meant me being late for work and having to leave early to pick the car up again.

So i'd used this VW garage last year to do a service and was happy with their work, cost, care of my car, attitude etc so I knew I would need to pay due to them not being able to claim for warranty work because of them being a VW garage. I was happy to pay for the work.

Their tech drove the car with me in it and he reckoned immediately NSF wheelbearing, this was confirmed when they ran the car up on the ramps and listened to the hubs with a stethescope,so the car went in last Thursday (22nd) and a new wheel bearing was fitted, only took them 40 mins, but I didn't feel it had helped any with the vibration through the floor and the the 'tightness' I was feeling, although the slight 'wooo' noise at speed had gone (so I am not disputing that there was a wheelbearing beginning to fail).

I did a bit of research on here and found a post by kawasaki where he reckoned he had an issue with an INNER cv joint, so I put the car back into the same VW garage this week and asked them to check the wheel balancing (incase the pothole had damaged a wheel or tyre) and the alignement (incase hitting the pothole had knocked the alignment out). I also asked them to check these inner CV joints, particularly the one on the passenger side because it was that side that hit the pothole and because I felt it was that side of the car the vibration was coming from.

They checked the wheel balancing and the alignment and both came back as pretty much fine - very slight adjustments to the alignment and a couple of wheels had very small weights added.

They then checked the inner CV joints and I was told the one on the passenger side was absolutely red hot whereas the one on the drivers side was fine to touch. They pulled the driveshaft off on the passenger side and I went down to see this for myself - the tech showed me the joint was VERY stiff, and wasn't springing back to centre as it should. They ordered a new NSF inner CV joint and fitted it this morning.

They then went out a drive (I was at work at this point) and said they felt this had cured the vibration issue but the car was now making a LOUD wooo noise between 35 and 60mph, they spent 3 hours this afternoon trying to find the source of this noise without success and have now given me a courtesy Golf so they can spend more time tomorrow trying to find the source. When I went to pick up the golf I asked for a drive in my car and sure enough there is now a LOUD "woooo" noise (almost like the wind is catching something) apparent above 30mph.

Any ideas? I am absolutely sh**ing myself that this is gearbox related, but the garage said they have had the car running up on the ramps and the car isn't making a noise on the ramp, they are going to try swapping back to the old stiff CV joint tomorrow and taking the car back out again to see if the noise is still there.

They said they tried running the car without an engine undertray and the noise was still there, they tried taking the front brakes apart to see if it was a pad catching on the disc and all is fine there, they said they never had the bonnet open at any point when doing the inner CV joint and the noise wasn't there before replacing the joint and is there now.

Any advice appreciated!

[marcevo1]

Firstly just incase.... Swap the wheels front to back? Just incase it's a tyre related issue.

Then with that one eliminated perhaps driveshaft? If the noise changed with the dry cv changed its probably the shaft or cv the other end. My alfa gta consumed driveshafts and cv's (all one bit) as fast as tyres (thankfully covered by warranty each time)

[Jim1556]

What if it is the gearbox? Surely it's still under warranty?

The issue of you using a different dealer for servicing means nothing providing OEM parts have been used (I should think a VW garage would).

[dunc69]

I can't help with advice, but I feel for you buddy! Nothing worse than not knowing what is wrong!

Good luck sorting it out!!

[blueR36]

You warranty is covered anyway! as long as it is vag it is ok, when many moons ago my wife had an Audi A2, and they wanted £260 for an oil change! so we had it serviced at Skoda, ( same 3 pot Tdi engine) and checked first about warranty. Anyway 8 months later the anti-roll bar bushes went, they started out rubber, went to plastic and back to rubber, ( replacements) so our car was covered, they did not even raise an eyebrow that Skoda had serviced it. Audi gave her a A3 courtesy car and sorted it no problem, so I would not worry it is your Dsg

[marcevo1]

Does it make the noise in neutral whilst coasting?

[oobster]

Dunno marc, I only went a short drive in it myself, I will ask the VW garage tomorrow.

If the gearbox is faulty then yes it will be covered under warranty, as the VW dealer HAS used proper parts - the wheelbearing and the inner CV joint are the same parts that would fit a Golf.

[jrw]

Dunno marc, I only went a short drive in it myself, I will ask the VW garage tomorrow.

If the gearbox is faulty then yes it will be covered under warranty, as the VW dealer HAS used proper parts - the wheelbearing and the inner CV joint are the same parts that would fit a Golf.

Are you actually paying for this at the VW garage? Surely it should go to Skoda for a proper investigation FOC under warranty?

[oobster]

well....

Car is still under warranty yes, so it looks like I am PROBABLY going to have to go down that route.

VW garage took my car out a spin this morning after it was left sitting in their yard all night, no noise. He let the car warm up for a wee while then took it out a 2nd run, no noise. Decided to try again around lunchtime and loud noise was back and stayed there. They then re-fitted the ORIGINAL inner CV joint and took the car back out again, noise still there.

He said he knocked the car into neutral and the noise stayed so looks like not a gearbox issue, although the machanic said it could still be the diff.

He also reckoned there was an issue with the top mount on the drivers side front coilover, so I am taking the car back to the folk who fitted the coilovers tomorrow morning and I might possibly get both front top mounts and bearings replaced then take it from there.

This is going to turn into a saga that lasts weeks probably.

<sigh>

[marcevo1]

Full lock on a deserted carpark and plenty of welly with traction off.... That will find it

Think its probably one of the other cv's or shaft itself - would be surprised if it was the diff.

[oobster]

A Skoda tech on another (VW Golf) forum has posted up saying he thinks this is a DSG box problem. Eek!

I just had the car out for a spirited 10 mile drive and it didn't make this loud noise once. I am going to go out again later once the roads are a little quieter.

[oobster]

Took the car out for a longer drive last night and it didn't make the sound once. Took it down to the mob that fitted my coilovers last year this morning, again a good 30-35 min drive and no noise. Guy at the garage took it out a spin on a + b + motorway roads, did make the loud sound but only once and only very briefly. Didn't make the sound all the way home.

Garage is going to replace both top mounts/bearings at the top of the struts this wednesday, although he doesn't think they are the issue. Cost is £76 for the parts and £96 for labour, so once i have had that done & i feel there is still an issue it will need to get booked into a skoda garage.

[Grizzle]

wow! £76 parts and £96 labour, that hypertech?

I've bought two top mounts and bearings from Skoda for £50, labour to fit them is £60.