T5 DSG dropping gear? WTF HELP?

**Transporter** · 08-05-2013, 07:27 AM

Now, I will go off topic a lot.
I know that there are many tiptronics that have failed in the hands of people like Sunny43.5, completelly stock standard and driven normally.

But, I know at least one T5 with the tiptronic and 128kW that have failed or maybe not but it went down for the transmission replacement as the commonly known A/T failure in these vans. The customer was well over 50 years old and had the *P Chip in his 2005 T5 (who would expect that?), I've serviced the van a couple times when at approx. 80,000km he started to complain about the AT, on which I referred him to the workshop, since I'm mobile and he didn't have the garage. The worshop in Adelaide replaced the AT and the fault (flaring) was still there. I think that they've opened/closed the second A/T and still no joy, so they looked harder and they've discovered the *P Chip, after removing it the vehicle was driving normally. They’ve fitted the *P Chip in another T5 and it was flaring as well. So was that the VW fault? How many AT were replaced under the similar circumstances?

The second T5 that had the problem with the same chip was member of this forum and also my customer, the fault wasn't affecting AT if my memory serves me well. After uninstalling the *P chip, the driveablity issues went away.

**Foxpuppet** · 08-05-2013, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by frantic

Not trying to reignite this in any way but what's being ignored are numbers. The VW passenger range outsell the commercial range at about 6:1 but then try and look closer as I would bet far more commercials such as amarok ( which uses a different auto again)and transporter are manual compared to the DSG auto golf passat polo etc. this would put the figure closer to 15:1 . That is 15 smaller DSG cars to 1 multivan or transporter DSG.
IMHO this means if your getting a few reports of similar issues to the small car DSG it is somthing to be seriuosly concerned about as their are far fewer examples to draw from or who are members here. Golf sells at 2000 -3000 a month whereas auto only multivan is around 70.

I understand this completely and it makes a lot of sense. Add to that we are only a small snapshot of australian owners on vww and the ratio increases exponentially.
The only thing I can see changing the t5 stats is the tiguan which shares the same models of engine and gearbox although then you have to add 4motion to the equation for those models.

**Sunny43.5** · 08-05-2013, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by IN2VWS

Yes agree IN2VWS best to stay friends and keep the banter on a friendly level , also to Transporter our 2005 T5 has no mods at all never considered it necessary the bloody thing goes quick enough in standard form !!! Will admit here that since the auto was rebuilt the van has had nasty flat spot on take off . Does not have the same take off as it had before rebuild turbo lag is really pronounced now . Howard

**Transporter** · 09-05-2013, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by Sunny43.5

Yes agree IN2VWS best to stay friends and keep the banter on a friendly level , also to Transporter our 2005 T5 has no mods at all never considered it necessary the bloody thing goes quick enough in standard form !!! Will admit here that since the auto was rebuilt the van has had nasty flat spot on take off . Does not have the same take off as it had before rebuild turbo lag is really pronounced now . Howard

I've never doubt that, I asked you a while ago and remembered that you've said it was without any mods.

Also I'm not saying that the T5's AT is reliable, it's probably one of the worst, due to its design and undermined by the pure stupidity by specifying "LIFE TIME FILL"! At the time when the AT was fitted to the T5s that life time fill was 5years or 120,000km whichever comes first according to the German TUV. As much as I loved the testdrive in the T5 Auto before I've bought mine I was aware of the flaws and voided it.

The longest time I leave the oil unchanged in any of our vehicles is 50,000km and it's only in the DSG and the Haldex oil in my T5 4Motion.
The power steering oil - yearly,
the gear oils - every 20,000km,
the engine oils - every 6months/7,500km.

If you want your vehicle to last you more than 200,000km or 12 years regardless of the kms, you should do that, it could save you later much more than you've paid for the extra maintenance.

Another flawed component in the VAG vehicles, is their coolant filled for life

.
However, I saw in some maintenance guidlines, check and replace if necessary.

**Umai Naa!!** · 09-05-2013, 08:39 AM

Yeah, coolant is test and replace as necessary.

**Sunny43.5** · 09-05-2013, 05:59 PM

Thanks for that Transporter up until the AT failure I will admit being a bit in the dark regarding VW technology but I sure learnt fast after that one .

**Foxpuppet** · 19-09-2013, 03:04 PM

A little update on the wheel issue, didn't want to start a new thread again.

Van just had service done and they had agreed that next time it came in they would fix the damage they had done to the passenger side front wheel while it was in for mechatronics replacement.

They fixed it up and you can't even tell it was damaged

Only problem is looks like they failed colour match 101

I'm about to call them back. I didn't notice it at the dealer as it was parked in the shade and I only really looked at the front to see what they had done. This just keeps getting better!

**Sunny43.5** · 19-09-2013, 07:27 PM

Oh joy just what you don't need more grief . In this day and age with computer matching etc this should not have happened .

**byronbus** · 20-09-2013, 10:18 PM

Ok, so after all that, i have a 2013 multivan, when is the best time to get extended warranty... does it get more expensive the closer you get to the factory warranty expiring?