T5...and then it went bang...looks like another costly careless mistake

[Sunny43.5]

The price looks pretty much on the mark VW parts are the killers . The labour looks good $540 for all that work seems reasonable . Not sure about supposed "modified "splines from the UK forum it seems that they are still a problem back in the UK . If you think the labour is a bit ripe check this one , I am in the middle of having a Turbo replaced on my wifes 2005 T5 the mechanics who are doing this particular job are charging me $2800 for labour that price will include an oil filter and oil change and some gaskets for the replacement turbo which I supplied . Hmmmm . Yes I have read that the turbo can be a bugger to do so I will be having some stern conversations with the shop about the high price .

[aSimpleLife]

Oh dear...that isn't making me feel any better
Good luck with that "conversation".
And thanks again for the feedback on labour prices - I have no idea whether what I am paying is fair and reasonable rate or not - I mean I really hope it is - I want to trust my mechanic - but you can't easily compare like for like - and service costs have been increasing more than cpi - and I just get the feeling I am being softened up in conversations for increases.

Have I made a terrible mistake buying a T5 as my van for hopefully the next 20 to 30 years?
I was hoping to invest in my T5 while it's a business vehicle for the next 10 years - while I have some money - get the depreciation out of the way - then have 10 to 20 years of low cost ownership where I could do as much of the maintenance myself as possible - when I have very little money.
I mean I love my T5 - it's wonderful to drive - and this is only my first breakdown type repair in 4 years - so I know I can be seen as over reacting - but is it just the first of many very expensive ones? - should I have chosen the Hiace back in 2010 when I had the choice?

[Sunny43.5]

Hi Ace ? NO NO I drove one for a while whilst I was doing some fit out for a friend , horrible ride the back end would try and overtake the front over rough ground they hobby horse like crazy . Then if you look out the front windscreen you can see another car that will hit you as there is nothing in front to protect you . Look my problems are mine and I will reiterate what I have said before not everyone will have problems half a million kays is not unusual without too many problems . I still believe I broke one of my own golden rules NEVER buy the first of a new model ours was one of the first of the T5s sold in Qld at the time in 2004 . With careful following of service procedures and most important use the correct oils all will be fine , ride of the T5's is what I do love they drive like a car and with a few mods are even better .

[aSimpleLife]

yes...i've been doing some more reading tonight...about vans and their comparisons...instead of what I should be doing...working

I've only driven the older Hiace's - so it's probably not a fair comparison - but they are more like driving a 60's beetle....as your say
I suppose it comes down to how much I value the drive - and it is wonderful.
The poor T5 resale value - compared to say the Hiace - sort of locks me in too - plus I hate the selling process - and everyone telling me why my vehicle's not worth what i think
If I do decide to stay with it, I'll be looking after it more than I did - no more hard driving around corners - and I'll have to find a better parking spot.
I really have to put more time into understanding how to keep the cost of ownership down with a T...and of course...keep my fingers crossed

Funny you mention the oil...one of the things I felt my mechanic was softening me up on probably 12 month's back...is telling me he had to pay more for the oil he was using...because of the feedback he was getting...so maybe he does just have my best interests at heart?

Do you mind me asking what those "few mods are even better" are?
Sorry for being lazy and not reading back through your volumes of valuable posts.

[Sunny43.5]

The mods you alluded to were fitting a Bilstein Coil over suspension system it has lowered the van and made the ride more car like handles and corners much nicer [This was the second suspension kit the original one from FK in Europe was a load of rubbish ended up chucking the kit on the dump . We do not carry heavy loads only our two disabled children . Then I have custom fitted out the inside as it was a bare shell to start with link here .New T5 Project . loads of soundproofing and then the rest of the trimming . Makes a huge difference because its very quiet inside with improved ride etc.

[aSimpleLife]

Thanks for the suspension info - once I've recovered from this latest repair cost I might look into that.

Yes I have always been very impressed with your project. Sadly I am not up to that task myself. Yours is what I kept in mind when I got Drifta in Gloucester to fit out my van. I don't think Drifta's finish is close to your high standard but it's not their core business and I did sort of lure them into doing the trims. It does what I want for a work van though and I am happy enough. My trims were all replaced with marine ply covered with marine carpet. I asked them to insulate for temperature as I quite often sleep in the back. As you say it has been great for reducing the road noise.

You refer to what you used as "sound proofing" so I assume it's not there to provide insulation. I never specified what insulation I wanted, just left it to them. However I recently noticed they have just used what I think is standard housing fibreglass batt insulation. I have since read somewhere this type of insulation can collect moisture and lead to your van rusting from the inside out. Would you have an opinion on this? (sorry about dragging this even further off topic)

[Sunny43.5]

I am, not a fan of fiberglass insulation as you have to pack too much in to make a difference , the stuff I use is very compacted wool blend . Its only around 10mm thick but because we glue it directly to the outer skin from inside it works very well to stop road noise and metal drumming . Naturally it also helps keep out the cold as it shields the inside area by reducing the transmission of the low temperature through the metal , no problem with moisture as the Vdubs are galvanised anyway and painted as well . I still have our original T5 now 10 years old and not a single sign of rust anywhere . Now back to the splines I am not sure of how the diffs work in the T5 but obviously the drivers side seems to get the most work , that could be the answer . Not sure what bolt you bloke had trouble with but if he is referring to the allen key one inside the spline seems strange he had problems as I found mine easy to remove .

[aSimpleLife]

Thanks very much yet again. I'll try to peg him down on exactly which bolt that was.

[aSimpleLife]

Now back to the splines...Not sure what bolt you bloke had trouble with but if he is referring to the allen key one inside the spline seems strange he had problems as I found mine easy to remove .

In relation to my comment;
"Note 2 - mechanic also advised he had significant trouble removing one shaft bolt that was rounding off hex (left side?)"

I was back for a service this week and asked the mechanic and yes, it was that allen/hex key type one from inside the spline, but just on the one side, which I still think was the left. Said at the time he had to rig up his own tool to get it out.

[Sunny43.5]

Yes that is a strange one mine came undone with an allen key on a socket set . It was very easy to remove but maybe at the factory they did not apply much grease and it was a bit rusty on the thread .