Passat TSI Resonance While Engine Revs at 1200 RPM

**theshark** · 12-06-2011, 12:20 AM

Does anyone care to comment Volkswagen Service Bulletin Number : 2015831 / 261506? (NHTSA: Action Number: 10026848 )

What's the story behind this service bulletin? I wonder if the issue with our Passat is just a loose heat shield??

Date of Bulletin : AUG 28, 2008

Summary:
VOLKSWAGEN: EXHAUST HEAT SHIELD, REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES. HEAT SHIELDS ARE TO BE INSPECTED AFTER COMPLETION O ANY TYPE OF REPAIR TO THE UNDERBODY (EXHAUST SYSTEM TRANSMISSION, ETC.), AND IF DAMAGED, REPLACED. *PE

it appears it applied to almost all VW cars,

Make / Models: Model/Build Years:
VOLKSWAGEN / 4000 1990-1991
VOLKSWAGEN / 5000 1990-1991
VOLKSWAGEN / 90 1990-1991
VOLKSWAGEN / BEETLE 1998-2006
VOLKSWAGEN / CABRIO 1993 1995-2002
VOLKSWAGEN / CABRIO CONVERTIBLE 1995-2000 2002
VOLKSWAGEN / CABRIOLET 1990-2002
VOLKSWAGEN / CORRADO 1990-1995 1997
VOLKSWAGEN / EOS 2006-2009
VOLKSWAGEN / EUROVAN 1992-2003
VOLKSWAGEN / FOX 1990-1993
VOLKSWAGEN / GLI 1990-1992
VOLKSWAGEN / GOLF 1990-2007
VOLKSWAGEN / GOLF CABRIO 1995-2002
VOLKSWAGEN / GTI 1990-2009
VOLKSWAGEN / JETTA 1990-2009
VOLKSWAGEN / JETTA III 1993-2000
VOLKSWAGEN / NEW BEETLE 1998-2009
VOLKSWAGEN / NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE 2003-2005
VOLKSWAGEN / NEW GOLF 2001-2002
VOLKSWAGEN / NEW JETTA 2001-2003 2005
VOLKSWAGEN / PASSAT 1990-2009
VOLKSWAGEN / PASSAT CC 2009
VOLKSWAGEN / PASSAT WAGON 2006-2009
VOLKSWAGEN / PHAETON 2004-2006
VOLKSWAGEN / QUANTUM 1990-1991
VOLKSWAGEN / R32 2004-2008
VOLKSWAGEN / RABBIT 2006-2009
VOLKSWAGEN / SCIROCCO 1991
VOLKSWAGEN / TIGUAN 2009
VOLKSWAGEN / TOUAREG 2004-2009
VOLKSWAGEN / VANAGON 1990-1994
VOLKSWAGEN / VOLKSWAGEN 1990-2003

**theshark** · 12-06-2011, 09:51 PM

A reader in myturbodiesel.com reported the resonance with his 2010 TDI Golf Wagon disappeared after a year with 11,000km on the clock "2010 Golf Wagon TDI engine vibration". Now I hope the resonance with our Passat 118TSI will eventually go away after the exhaust builds up enough dirt and changes it's built-in frequency. It'd be a painful year if I have to drive this car through a number of school zones in mornings.

I raised our concern in regards to the unpleasant resonance on VW Australia website more than 10 days ago. I have got nothing but an auto reply from their website so far. The customer service level is not impressive. This car was purchased at a corporate plus price under Volkswagen Corporate Program. I'll be sending an email to their corporate program managers and see if they are keen to help. Stay tuned.

**mebius9** · 13-06-2011, 02:05 AM

Originally Posted by theshark

Sorry to hear your MY11 GTI having the same issue. Did you take her to a dealer for an inspection? Saw your thread in the diesel sub-forum. Did you just trade in your Passat TDI with the new GTI?

Probably MY11 GTI share the same exhaust with B7 Passat??

I haven't taken it to dealer as I doubt it will bring any solution...

**theshark** · 13-06-2011, 02:37 AM

Found an interesting Volkswagen Service Training Self Study manual for "Noise, Vibration and Harshness".

I'm now 99% sure the issue with our Passat appears to be a "Low-speed Unpleasant Droning / Humming noise" as described on page 4,

"Low-speed droning is an example of a low frequency NVH concern that may have components not in the audible range. This condition exerts pressure on the driver's eardrum and can be extremely uncomfortable."

More on page 10 and 11 for Theory of Droning. Page 11 lists items that could be responsible for unpleasant droning.

I will be calling some dealer's service depts and get their opinions next week.

**brad** · 14-06-2011, 08:53 AM

If you can work out where the drone is coming from & then change the mass of that item, it might help. eg: use a hose clamp to attach a chunk of metal.

I assume the dealer has checked/tightened/bent (sometimes bending stiffens them) the heatshields

**theshark** · 14-06-2011, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by brad

If you can work out where the drone is coming from & then change the mass of that item, it might help. eg: use a hose clamp to attach a chunk of metal.

I assume the dealer has checked/tightened/bent (sometimes bending stiffens them) the heatshields

They said they had. I tried to get the details today but was unable to get hold of the service advisor or mechanic who did the inspection last week.

So for the time being, I can only assume they have followed the guideline as stated in the service training manual for NVH published by Volkswagen, which clearly suggests on page 9, "Following a systematic approach when troubleshooting an NVH concern helps to locate the cause and correct the condition." And droning is certainly one type of the unpleasant noise. But I haven't seen the correction part and I'm really confused by the advice given by dealer's service dept and VGA. i.e. "At this point and time it is not a known concern and no further action be taken as advised by VGA".

Wish I worked as a mechanic in a garage so I could have found and fixed the cause, or redesigned the car by myself.

**theshark** · 17-06-2011, 05:07 PM

I got hold of VW Customer Service today. They will be getting in touch with dealer's service dept and request dealer's service dept to do another inspection for our Passat next week.

**TDI DSG** · 19-06-2011, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by theshark

I got hold of VW Customer Service today. They will be getting in touch with dealer's service dept and request dealer's service dept to do another inspection for our Passat next week.

Please let us know how you get on ....

**theshark** · 28-06-2011, 03:45 PM

Took our car in dealer’s service dept for another road test as arranged by VGA customer service. They believed the resonance was normal and one of characteristics of the car. A disappointing characteristic though. I guess we have no choice but have to leave it as it is.