Yeti rear differential seized.

[frimleyfrodo]

Hope I’m posting this in the right place. I couldn’t find an exact answer to my situation by searching. 

l will try to keep it brief!
 

My wife has a May 2015 manual Yeti TDi with a gen 5 Haldex. The Haldex oil was changed February 2018 at 37,601 at a main dealer and again at 68,606 miles on 9th August this year at a VW specialist when the pump screen was also cleaned out. It was pretty filthy according to a photo the garage showed me.

 

The car has done no long, fast journeys since then until last week, when at 69,800 miles we had a bearing type noise when driving from Calais to Paris. The noise was a type of whirring noise varying in intensity depending where you were sat in the car. A vibration was also present at about 75mph which I initially attributed to the balancing on a pair of new Hankook 4 season tyres.

 

Green Flag sent a breakdown agent who took the car out and diagnosed a failing rear wheel bearing. He told me get it changed back home, that it was safe for at least another 1,000km and that I didn’t need to keep my speed down. I did keep my speed down, but at 65 mph and just over 70,000 miles there was a bang from the rear and the back wheels locked up, released, locked, released until I pulled onto the hard shoulder. Looking under the car oil was coming out of the Haldex or the differential. It ran slowly for about 10 minutes until about a litre or so was on the ground. Rubbing a finger in it showed it was fairly clear and smelt of gear oil.

 

My questions are twofold. Given that about a litre of oil has come out, could the failure be at all related to the recent Haldex service? Also, if I had stopped driving when the noise was first noticed, could serious damage have been avoided or was the unit already kippered?

 

Until the car is repatriated in a couple of weeks I don’t know exactly what has failed, but I am already looking for a good second hand Haldex and differential. I presume a gen 5 from any VW group vehicle will fit?

 

Appreciate any thoughts and wisdom. Thanks.

[Ootohere]

Sadly the issue can be when the Technician or fitter draining the wrong oil. 

That should not be the case since the screen was cleaned though.

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/492466-has-my-local-garage-ruined-my-snow-monster/page/2

See @peeeturrrrpost 

 

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/447657-rear-differential-destroyed-help-please

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/356099-octavia-rear-differential-failure

 

Edited 1 November, 2021 by roottoot

[frimleyfrodo]

Thanks for those links. Very interesting.
 

If during the service the mechanic had emptied the differential and then overfilled the Haldex by mistake (leaving the differential empty) where did the litre of oil come from after failing and would the differential have lasted 1,300 miles with no oil? 

[Ootohere]

Likely not.

 

@J.R.Might know.

[J.R.]

Many fail very quickly, one one of the linked threads I was saying over a year ago that mine was making noises of impending doom and I was waiting for its imminent failure.

 

I'm still waiting after more than a year and many thousands of miles many of which towing weights well beyond the vehicles limits.

 

So yes it could easily have done 1300 miles with some oil, its probably too late now to forensically work out whether the mechanic was like Ron Jeremy

 

If they made the common mistake they will not have overfilled the Haldex and it takes a very long time to drain the diff unless the oil is hot, more than long enough for someone with half a brain to realise their mistake, I say that as someone who does not have half a brain

 

Its plausible that they eventually realised that it wasn't thin Haldex oil coming out and refitted the drain plug without refilling, they would not have been issued hypoid oil and may have decided to bury their error, you will never know or be able to prove it.

[logiclee]

Another sad story and common across all VAG forums.

 

Another diff more than likely killed by inexperience or incompetence.

 

 

[frimleyfrodo]

Thanks folks. I’m philosophical and looking for a decent used unit, which seem to be available for under £300.

[J.R.]

They do seem a reasonable price which makes me think that apart from Ron Jeremy mechanics they are bulletproof and the breakers can't get rid of them.

 

What part number and/or description are you using for your searches?

 

I need to do a regular search in case a cheap one comes up near to my UK address, I had a cheap one (the pump had been removed) saved but eventually it sold, it took a very long time though.

[frimleyfrodo]

I was just searching for a gen 5 Haldex with differential to fit a 2015 Yeti. I had assumed all VW group gen 5 units fitted - am I wrong with that assumption?

[J.R.]

I don't think so but I did find a few different part numbers from my own and was never 100% convinced they were the same.

 

At least with the VAG system we dont have to worry about having the right crown wheel & pinion ratio.

 

I only need a differential and will reuse my Haldex pump, I am reasonably confident that you will be in the same situation, that said most are sold as complete assemblies.

 

Has your vehicle been repatriated yet? I hope there are no nasty surprises in store for you in that regard.

[frimleyfrodo]

Thanks. No, it only broke down a week ago near Limoges, so not expecting to see it for 2/3 weeks.

 

There’s a few on eBay that come from a Yeti of the right age, with a warranty and I’ve got a capable friend lined up to fit it, so fingers crossed.

[frimleyfrodo]

Yeti is back in the UK without any apparent mishaps. It’s been popped up on the ramp for a quick look underneath. It’s not pretty…..

Sourced a differential from a 2015 Yeti with 36k and with a 6 month warranty.

[Austin 7]

Hi Frimleyfrodo.

 

Just wondering if one of the tyre fitters casually put his trolley jack under the casing before lifting half the weight of the car with it ?  

 

A variant of the traditional "jack it up under the propshaft and bend it to a banana shape"

 

If it cracked, that would cause a slow oil leak and throw off the precision bearing and gear alignment, giving odd noises followed by rapid wear and then breakup.

 

So the crack could be cause rather than effect.

[frimleyfrodo]

That’s an interesting thought, thanks. I’ll have a look when I go to see it for any jacking marks.
However, it lives in a garage and there’s never been any oil on the floor and after it broke down, oil ran out for a considerable time onto the road. 

[J.R.]

Some oily bits probably resembling shrapnel have made a bid for freedom.