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BROOKLINE
01-10-2007, 10:40 AM
I operate 10 VW Passats..4 of which are the new model (55-07 plate) all of these cars are suffering from excesive inner rear tyre wear!! At about 30,000miles the rear tyres will start to rumble like a rear wheel bearing. The inside edges of the tyres will be out of shape having humps/bumps on the inner edges which will create a drown from the rear. VW Customer services say they are not aware of any problem with rear tyres.. However I have 4 cars doing the same..my local dealer has seen many other cars doing the same too!

I have in my possession an internal document from VW Tech regarding what they call "Saw-Tooth Wear" which is effecting passats... I think VW are trying to keep quiet about this issue...So.. if you have a passat with this problem get hold of your dealer or VW. So far I am less than impressed with VW Customer services which want me to pay to have all 4 cars into the dealer to have a full four wheel alignment. One car has been and cost over £400.00!! So I think NOT! Going to take it further now...........

floroad
25-10-2007, 08:22 PM
I run an 06 Passat 140SE Estate. I had the sound of failed wheel bearings and was told by Kwik Fit it was the uneven wear on the outside of both rear tyres caused by overloading the car! This I disputed. I took the car to the VW dealer who openly addmitted it was a common problem caused by the type of rear suspension. The only cure was to replace both tyres. This was agreed to be paid for by the lease company despite having at least half there life left at 30,000 miles.

claranet
26-10-2007, 10:39 PM
Hi there,

I own two Passat Estates one 03 B5 S 100 TDi and a brand new B6 Sport 170.

I have always had rear n/s tyre wear on the B5 and have had the 4 wheel alignment carried out while it was under warranty to have the steering rack replaced. The Dealer says that there is nothing wrong with the alignment but could carry out a further 4 wheel alignment; this time at MY expense !

To be honest it is cheaper to replace the tyre at 30,000 miles say at £60, rather than pay £100s which may or may not work !:beerchug:

I hope I don't have the same problem with the B6 170 Sport which has lower suspension settings and very low profile tyres.

claranet

BROOKLINE
29-10-2007, 05:09 PM
Claranet.. I agree it is cheaper to get the rear tyres replaced.. But I dont see why VW are not willing to look into this issue. It maybe that the rear track needs re-setting. My dealer is less than helpfull.. then again I have only been a customer for 10yrs! and only bought 20 cars from them which they have serviced..lol..I now run the rears on budget tyres.. but they humm a bit!. .

kenney
29-10-2007, 06:38 PM
I thought it was only here in Norway we had that problem

Koimaster
20-03-2008, 09:28 PM
I have 2006 Passat sport 140 tdi estate, its started a rumble sound at the rear at approx 20k, thought it was a wheel bearing . Booked it in with Local main dealer they told me noise due to rear tyre wear, but not what nor how.tyres wearing, mileage now 27k tread depth app.5mm. Sort advice from reputable tyre centre, they told me tyre wear on inside edge of both rears, and recommended a 4 wheel alignment check.I then contacted Main dealer and they offered a 4 wheel alignment check at no charge, this was completed today with no issue they inform me the car is in tolerance, I asked why the tyres are wearing , with no explaination to date. Dearship to contact me after the weekend. Any thoughts or comments

Stuart W
21-03-2008, 12:23 AM
Any thoughts or comments

Not really; this seems to be one of several Passat 'issues'.

The noise on mine appeared at about the same mileage as yours, but as I said on another thread a few months the wear doesn't seem to have affected the legality or longevity of the tyre - mine's have 3mm of tread left at 52,000.

Others have been claiming that the issue has severely curtailed their tyre's useful life.

Mr K
22-05-2008, 09:11 PM
I have this issue on my Touran. Mileage is about 29k; tyres on the rear are both Goodyear NCT 5s. Not sure how long they've been on the rear as I only bought the car in March and they could have been moved from the front previously. They are showing the sawtooth wear on the inner edge. The symptom is tyre noise at between 40 and 50mph. It seems less pronounced at higher speeds, but I'm sure it's not as quiet as it should be.

The advice I've had from a local tyre fitter is that it's a feature of this kind of car and may be due to running with little weight in the rear, in a car designed to take a considerable load. Looking at the amount of wear they reckon it's probably not worth spending £100+ on a full 4-wheel laser alignment as the wear would have been worse if alignment was out. TBH I wouldn't mind spending that if the alignment is out.

I'm replacing the rears with a pair of Conti Premium Contact 2s tomorrow. Looking forward to a bit of peace & quiet from the back, at least when the kiddies aren't on board!

The Touran is based on the Golf Mk V platform as I understand it. Do later Passats have the same independent rear suspension set-up?

gamichea
23-05-2008, 09:07 PM
I have 2006 Passat sport 140 tdi estate, its started a rumble sound at the rear at approx 20k,

Not had this problem on my Sport 140 TDI by 25k when one rear was trashed by ingesting a 6mm diameter screw resulting in a hole too big for legal repair. The P Zero Rossos on the rear were showing no signs of sawtoothing at that stage. They whine on smooth roads but no rumbling not attitrutable to road surface.

sharantdi
22-06-2008, 04:32 PM
I have 2006 Passat sport 140 tdi estate, its started a rumble sound at the rear at approx 20k, thought it was a wheel bearing . Booked it in with Local main dealer they told me noise due to rear tyre wear, but not what nor how.tyres wearing, mileage now 27k tread depth app.5mm. Sort advice from reputable tyre centre, they told me tyre wear on inside edge of both rears, and recommended a 4 wheel alignment check.I then contacted Main dealer and they offered a 4 wheel alignment check at no charge, this was completed today with no issue they inform me the car is in tolerance, I asked why the tyres are wearing , with no explaination to date. Dearship to contact me after the weekend. Any thoughts or comments


Same problem with my passat wagon tdi 07 mod. Wearing of inner side of tyres were obvious and at 10000km ( 3 months ago ) dealer made 4 wheel aligning at no cost. Now the mileage is 16000km and I can see that the problem is still there. Threads on the inner side of my michelin tyres are less than 2mm ( outside 4,5 mm). The car is under warranty and of course its going back to the dealer again..

Quatrelle
23-06-2008, 12:08 PM
I'm trying to imagine what sort of suspension linkage would move the wear away from the inside when it's under load.

If the inside is wearing it means either that the rears are toeing out slightly, or the castor angle means the bottom of the wheel is 'sticking out' farther than the top, and that the wheel is therefore leaning in slightly.

I don't have an estate, but it needs someone to check the angle of lean of a rear with a spirit level when the car is empty, and then load it heavily, move it forward no more than a turn, and check again. If the wheel is leaning in more, that shoots down the 'running light' excuse.

My rears are fine - the fronts aren't, but that's another (speed-bumps) story - so I can only presume the estates have a different set-up.

Any suspension experts out there?

jimgironde
23-06-2008, 07:56 PM
I have never had problems on the passat, but with a previous car I lightly "kerbed" a tyre which obviously gave a tracking problem which led to premature uneven wear.

aaronparke
27-06-2008, 05:14 AM
I took my passat back to the dealer shortly after I'd bought it with what I thought was rear wheel bearing noise. They told me it was uneven wear and that a cure was to put the rears on the front and they'd 'wear back'!?!
I told them I wasn't convinced but they were determined I try for at least a couple of weeks.
I took the car back within days due to awful vibrations through the steering and demanded new tyres.
They took the Conti's off and put two brand new Federals on. I went straight back to the service manager and asked *** have they had put on my car? His reply was that Federal's (he pronounced them Federales, like you would Integrale as in Lancia) were good tyres. I told him that Pronouncing the name in a foreign way doesn't make **** tyres any good and that I wanted like-for-like for the Conti's. They put some Michelins on after lots of heated debate and swearing. On an internet search it turns out the Federal model they put on were £50 a piece van tyres!

ionic
27-06-2008, 07:58 AM
I think tyre noise from the rear is quite common on other models as well.

I was told there are various reasons, particularly that the sound resonates through the back, especially hatches/estates & is made worse by the fact that modern cars have wider tyres with bigger diametres so theres less rubber to absorb the noise/vibration.

I had the problem on my my vectra 1.9 & bmw330ci & both times it was premature tyre wear. ( I never carry much either!)

I've not noticed it so far on the Passat.

Subira
01-07-2008, 11:08 PM
I have a similar problem on my B6 estate recently, and have had the problem on previous 2 x MK5 Golfs. Unfortunately I think its tracking, it seems that it is rarely set correctly from the factory.

If the rear wheel is toeing out by a few degrees, this seems to wear the inside of the tyre to cause the tyre to go out of shape - each tread block seems to wear at a different rate and the tyre is mis-shaped. This causes the bearing like rumbling. Stick the spare on and it goes away. Picture that effectively the tyre is being pulled down the road leading on the inside edge.

Best thing to do is not to take it to VW, find a Pro-Align machine and have a full four wheel done. It will be a fraction of the VW price (I was quoted £250 by the dealer, and I paid only 15% of that at the Tyre Dealer). Get them to set it in the middle of the settings - the Pro-Align has all the VW settings and is the same machine as the dealer will use.

Unfortunately the tyres don't 'come back' once the tracking is corrected so its a new tyre(s) as well. As I said this is just my experience but this is the third car that has shown the same problem.

The Dealer is generally not interested and doesn't understand the problem, normally asks if I've hit a kurb, oh must be a defective tyre etc etc. Next new car is going to need the Pro-Align as part of the PDI.

morellim
26-11-2008, 10:30 PM
Hi, I have a 2005 Passat 2.0 TDI S saloon with the sawtooth problem. I have had a bush changed on the rear of the car under warranty followed by 4 wheel alignment and the problem seems to have improved but not completely resolved.

Sorry Im not tehnical so can not advise which bush was changed.

BROOKLINE
26-11-2008, 11:40 PM
OK.. update from Brookline.. our 4 new shape passats have had 4 wheel alignment (with a local lazor track garage) with the rear tyres set out of scope from VW recommendation. We opted to set them to toe in very slightly.. which is the opposite to what VW want. (every car we tested had rear tyres set to toe out..hence inner edge wear!) So if you do take your passat to VW for a wheel alignment to VW spec it may still continue to scrub out the inner edge. We have run them on a softer compound tyre (and cheaper incase this did not work) and from only covering upto 30k on Michelin rear tyres..we have now increased this to 60K..on a budget tyre at half the price..effectively doubling the life of the rear tyres and halving the cost! I do have one car starting to rumble but this has now covered 64K on the budget tyre which I think is not bad considering.. we cover a very high mileage so to us the rear tyre problem and tracking paid off as the 55 plate car has a mileage of 185k! If you only plan to keep your car till say 60k it probably is not worth messing with.. just buy something else next time! lol... Hope this info helps..

Happy,But
30-04-2009, 11:22 AM
I operate 10 VW Passats..4 of which are the new model (55-07 plate) all of these cars are suffering from excesive inner rear tyre wear!! At about 30,000miles the rear tyres will start to rumble like a rear wheel bearing. The inside edges of the tyres will be out of shape having humps/bumps on the inner edges which will create a drown from the rear. VW Customer services say they are not aware of any problem with rear tyres.. However I have 4 cars doing the same..my local dealer has seen many other cars doing the same too!

I have in my possession an internal document from VW Tech regarding what they call "Saw-Tooth Wear" which is effecting passats... I think VW are trying to keep quiet about this issue...So.. if you have a passat with this problem get hold of your dealer or VW. So far I am less than impressed with VW Customer services which want me to pay to have all 4 cars into the dealer to have a full four wheel alignment. One car has been and cost over £400.00!! So I think NOT! Going to take it further now...........
I too have a 2007 dsg 140 2.0 tdi estate fab car in general however @35k exactly as you describe the inner wear appeared this coincided with changing the 2 front with the same a before (Michelin@£150ish each),anyway my dealer said to get the 4 wheel alignment done,which I did @ £115 they were nearly perfect.
What now?.................new rears put up & shut up or an answer & action from VW?

rrai
30-04-2009, 05:24 PM
I too have a Passat 140 DSG saloon on a 57 plate that has been serviced recently. I mentioned to the service Manager that there was a rumble from the rear more noticable at Motorway speeds, he adviced that both rear tyres were stepped ( his explanation a bit like a fifty pence piece ) on checking both inner edges of the tyres had this. Was quoted £280 to replace both Dunlop tyres. Car has done 30,000 miles

pendle wizard
30-04-2009, 10:46 PM
Hi same problem here Passat 2.0 Tdi sport with 172 dunlops, car sounded like bearings had gone at back, checked the tyre and there is what looks like a saw tooth effect on the tyre, tried rotating tyre onto front to see if it evened it out .
Now its noisy from front.

Is there a cure to stop the car doing this?????

Happy,But
01-05-2009, 08:30 AM
Brookline would you mind indicating which brand softer compound tyre you settled for & appx price as it appears you have the best solution.
Thank you for your help
Incidently if you have a Costco near you they are cheap for the original Michelin 215/55/r16 however they're still £136-£150 fitted depending on your speed rating.

taylora
01-05-2009, 01:18 PM
Didn't have the problem on the factory fit Conti Sports. Changed to Goodyear Eagle F1s and they exhibited the saw tooth wear pattern on the back. I took the car to the dealer as like many others I thought the rear bearings were shot. Speaking with a mechanic he said he'd seen it on quite a few Passats but the service receptionist tried to brush over this. They said they'd done an alignment check and all was good.

So I returned the Goodyears to the tyre shop I got and after much arguing and involvement from trading standards got £100 back. However, from what I read here it looks like the problem is with the car and not the tyres.

Now I have Dunlops on the back, fitted by the VW dealer that are getting noisy. Which means if they say the tyres are faulty - even though it's looking like a problem with the car - then I expect them to pay for replacement tyres since they fitted them. Perhaps this might push them to doing a proper check and being a little more honest about the problem.

Hillbeley
01-05-2009, 01:49 PM
I ran a 2006 3.2 4Motion (DSG) estate from new for 2 years and towed a lot, it started to rumble at 50K and on changing job I turned down the offer to buy the car with 65K miles on it then for £6000 as I thought I had broken/ worn out something towing!
(I had already had a new DSG box at 45K)
I am now in a 2006 2.0TDi Passat (rep flat black), with 83K, and guess what - it has the same noise and newish goodyears I think.
I had the estate re-aligned due to the square wheel effect (which I was told was called 'coining' as the rears ended up looking like an old 3d piece - these were Pzero rossos).
It certainly seems to be a Passat thing. And I am not certain the noise is from the tires, or the tyre wear is a consequence.
I am waiting for a new 2.0TFSi A4 Avant, so I hope this is not plagued by the same engineering problem.

Quatrelle
01-05-2009, 05:28 PM
There are too many people on this forum with saw-tooth wear for it not to be a problem with the car.

Whether certain tyres are more susceptible to it is another matter.

Isoproturon
01-05-2009, 10:56 PM
Same with my 56 plate estate - done 74K now, but last lot of tyres lasted about 20k on the rear. My old Audi A4 Avant was just the same, but I forgave it that as it had done 180k nearly.

drmartin
02-05-2009, 08:29 AM
I ran a 2006 3.2 4Motion (DSG) estate from new for 2 years and towed a lot, it started to rumble at 50K and on changing job I turned down the offer to buy the car with 65K miles on it then for £6000 as I thought I had broken/ worn out something towing!
(I had already had a new DSG box at 45K)
I am now in a 2006 2.0TDi Passat (rep flat black), with 83K, and guess what - it has the same noise and newish goodyears I think.
I had the estate re-aligned due to the square wheel effect (which I was told was called 'coining' as the rears ended up looking like an old 3d piece - these were Pzero rossos).
It certainly seems to be a Passat thing. And I am not certain the noise is from the tires, or the tyre wear is a consequence.
I am waiting for a new 2.0TFSi A4 Avant, so I hope this is not plagued by the same engineering problem.

The A4 will be a revaluation against the Passat, none of these problems, and much better build, refinement... :D

BROOKLINE
03-05-2009, 10:28 AM
I too have a 2007 dsg 140 2.0 tdi estate fab car in general however @35k exactly as you describe the inner wear appeared this coincided with changing the 2 front with the same a before (Michelin@£150ish each),anyway my dealer said to get the 4 wheel alignment done,which I did @ £115 they were nearly perfect.
What now?.................new rears put up & shut up or an answer & action from VW?

Yes, I too had my tracking checked ant it was fine.. (done by dealer) however took it to a specialist with laser track and they told me that the manufacturers specification made the rear tyres toe out..hence inner rear tyre wear. So what you need to do is set it up out of scope. ie very slight toe in! I have doen this to all my cars and put softer compound tyres on rear and the life has increased over 100%. eventually they do start to rumble but then the tyres are down to 3mm anyway. Try it, it works.. I have one passat on 205,000miles set up on this rear tyre method with rears lasting over 60K much better than before.. however due to VW's lack of interest and back up I have not bought any new Passats for 2yrs now. I have had other major issues too, lastest one an engine block cracked and dropped out the bottom of the car... aparently is common on early models.. :zx11:

Happy,But
05-05-2009, 09:58 AM
Can anyone recommend a brand & appx price for the softer compound tyres?

audievo
05-05-2009, 10:59 AM
I have a passat b6 estate, 2006 with 79k on the clock.
Mine too sounds like a rear bearing problem................ and it's getting on my wick!!!!!!
Only had the car a couple of months and bought it telling myself it would be as good as my old A4................ well, it isn't, not by a long way.
Not sure if i'm happy it isn't a bearing problem or peed off that it's so common and being largely ignored by VW.
Are we saying a new pair of rear tyres will sort it?
Or new tyres and allignment?
Either way when i get it quietened down it's going the distance and i'm back to audi!!!!!!! :mad:

audievo
05-05-2009, 11:00 AM
Oh, it has rattles too!!!!!!!!!!!!
:zx11:

daveo138
05-05-2009, 11:01 PM
I was discussing this issue with my neighbour yesterday. He has the same problem with his 08 Mondeo estate and the local tyre specialists said it is a common problem with Passats and Mondeos.

audievo
05-05-2009, 11:31 PM
Maybe it was "cheeky" the cat :biglaugh:
Had a look at the back tyres tonight, nearside seems more worn on the inside edge, offside seems the opposite!
There is quite a bit of tread left but i can't stand the noise any longer.................. a trip to costco this week i think!

Stuart W
07-05-2009, 04:05 AM
The noise has just appeared on my replacement Firestones at around 20,000, which is about the same mileage as it appeared on the original Dunlops.

The originals lasted 60,000 though, and I can't see any obvious wear on the Firestones just by looking under the car, so they should last a while yet.

audievo
07-05-2009, 01:47 PM
20,000 miles or not, mine have to go, i can't stant the racket any longer!!!

BenR
09-05-2009, 07:47 AM
Next time you're in the next lane and behind a Passat have a careful look at the rear wheels compared with the front. You'll notice that the rears are leaning inwards slightly at the top, i.e. riding on their inside edges.

Happy,But
13-05-2009, 04:22 PM
It seems the best solution is to adjust to toe in rather than toe out on the rear combined with a softer compound tyre.If anyone can indicate a brand of suitable softer compound tyre & appx £price it would be a great assistance as I need to buy 2 .......it's driving me mad!

Otherwise it's Costco & Michelin @£135-150 per corner!

angus
19-05-2009, 07:23 PM
My Passat is in for service today, I complained about the noise, and yes, they have informed me that the inner rear tyres are worn. They won`t do anything about it as is `not a warranty issue` and suggested I have new tyres fitted. the tyres still have 5mm tread on them....

The garage suggested that it may be caused by "unsuitable tyres being fitted". I was met with a deafening silence when I pointed out that the car was delivered with EXACTLY the same tyres when new as it has now.

Anyone out there got any evidence of a dealer/VW accepting responsibilty for what is clearly an unsatisfactory state of affairs, or evidence of correspondence from VW admitting there is an issue here?
All replies appreciated.

audievo
20-05-2009, 12:11 AM
Well i think it's a disgrace, half worn tyres having to be binned for what seems to be so comman a complaint it must be deemed a fault.
Six weeks i've had my passat and i'm looking to get rid,.
Not prepared to spend £100+ per tyre everytime the noise returns.
Going back to audi, looking round this week.

d_onions
20-05-2009, 03:20 PM
Read on here that a 4 wheel laser alignment will solve the saw-tooth problem. I've just had 4 new tyres and the Hunter laser alignment done (quite reasonably at £45, some were charging £100+). Now I've just gotta wait and see if the rumbling noise returns...

Happy,But
20-05-2009, 03:25 PM
& were they out of alignment?.......... mine were bang on

d_onions
20-05-2009, 03:49 PM
The rears were 'quite a bit out' according to the garage, adjustments made backed up by figure changes on the printout. Time will tell if it's sorted the problem. I tried getting my local VW garage to do something about it as it is a known issue, but they were not interested. I wasn't expecting any help from them anyway so wasn't too disappointed. Seeing as I would have paid out to have the tracking done with the new tyres I thought £45 was not OTT for the 4-wheel alignment.

audievo
20-05-2009, 11:26 PM
Yep, a £45 allignment may solve it but by then you've trashed £250 worth of tyres, and to pee you off even more............the tyres are only half worn!!!
Nah, off to see the garage i bought it off next wed and see if we can come to a deal on an audi :beerchug:

chessie
12-10-2009, 09:24 PM
:1zhelp:I have a new model Passat which is wearing the inner edges of the rear tyres excessivley, to the point of blow-out. The outer edge of the tyres is hardly worn at all. Surely VW shoud carry out a re-call to rectify what is potentially a very serious fault.

daveo138
13-10-2009, 01:26 AM
I was driving down the M5 a couple of weeks ago and the outside lane was closed, due to a 55-reg Passat which had collided with the armco on the central reservation.

The NSR tyre was missing. The rim was still on the car, but no tyre.

It makes you wonder?!

ravanoli
13-10-2009, 08:41 AM
Any ideas on a brand of tyre to use?:confused:

audievo
13-10-2009, 11:10 AM
Hi, i was told to use Dunlop Sport 01 as the quietest option at a reasonable price.
Makes no difference now though as i have given up and sold the passat.
Back to audis for me i think.
The buyer asked why i was selling.....so i told him......... the tyre noise does my head in!!!!
He said he was a bit deaf and they didn't seem noisy to him :biglaugh:
At the min i am just using my new van i bought for work, a renault trafic...............................smooth quiet and a much nicer drive than my passat :Blush:
Makes you wonder what its comming to when a white van is a nicer drive than a german salloon :mad:

Quatrelle
13-10-2009, 07:36 PM
At the min i am just using my new van i bought for work, a renault trafic...............................smooth quiet and a much nicer drive than my passat

Just as long as they've cured their self-destructing turbos....;):(

audievo
13-10-2009, 10:28 PM
hahahaha............ yeah but only 3k on the clock so not too worried just yet :biglaugh:
anyway.............the money i save on tyres will more than pay for turbos :beerchug:

d_onions
14-10-2009, 07:32 AM
Just coming up to 10k since I put 4 new Kumho Ecsta's on following a 4 wheel alignment to cure the rumbling. No saw tooth sounds from the back tyre's yet. Tyre wear looks OK and even, but started to show signs of reduced grip/wheelspin in wet conditions.

SteveX
14-10-2009, 07:14 PM
I replaced the back tyres on mine last year with Michelin Primacy. They're a bit pricey but no noise to speak of. Good on wet and dry, and after more than 12k on them they still look. I'm changing the fronts this weekend for michellins. £250 for 2 at kwik fit (on-line price)

mattman
19-10-2009, 03:11 PM
I have conti sport 3's on the back of my 55 passat sport that rumble like a rumbly thing in a tunnel full of rumble strips - but mainly at 40mph.

Car has 52k on it and will be replacing soon for something a lot quieter - will also try the toe out (?) adjustment - I use Micheldever Tyres who are pretty good at this sort of thing

Been told that Khumo's are pretty good - cheap and quiet - anyone tried these?

dunkley201
19-10-2009, 08:54 PM
- will also try the toe out (?) adjustment -

Setting (as I understand it) should be TOE IN to parallel as in "+10' +/- 10' (at specified camber)".

Pezza
20-10-2009, 10:44 AM
Been told that Khumo's are pretty good - cheap and quiet - anyone tried these?

Had two fitted to the front this morning £159 (event-tyres.co.uk) looking good :D but yet to really test them.

bundao
20-10-2009, 06:51 PM
Bought a 56 Passat Estate a week ago and took it in to VW today to see if I could get a few things done on the warranty before it runs out (11 days time!)

I took the car out with a mechanic to show him the front suspension creak and the glovebox area rattle and I mentioned about the rear tyres (I had to buy 2 new rears when I bought the car).
The guy seemed really honest and said they do sit on the inside edges in order to provide a better grip on cornering.
Its how VW intended it to be so he reckons. (Although I think I'll still get them balanced at an indy).

Couldn't fault the customer service though - no quible from the desk guy about having a look at my queries under the warranty.
Mechanic knew what the problems were caused by within about a minute of being in the car.

All round top job - well done Windrush Slough

Now just hope I never experience the injector problem - or if I do before next saturday:D

Quatrelle
20-10-2009, 08:35 PM
The guy seemed really honest and said they do sit on the inside edges in order to provide a better grip on cornering.
Its how VW intended it to be so he reckons.

If you read back through this thread, you'll find that that is not the case. Sitting on the inside edges will cause them to wear slightly quicker than the rest of the tyre (a lot of cars are set up like this), but the excessive (sawtooth) wear experienced by a lot of contributors to this thread is caused by the rears toeing out due to VW's lousy tolerances. It is a known issue and a fault.

Driven wheels toe out, non-driven toe in (or parallel in both cases).

Most cars are now front-wheel drive and hence have toe out. I get funny looks when I ask for my old MG to have its front wheels toe in.

kenney
20-10-2009, 09:27 PM
By adjusting the fornt and rear wheel toe as near as possible to 0,and adjusting the rear wheel camber to under the spesified values,we have overcome the problem of uneven tyre wear

dunkley201
20-10-2009, 10:34 PM
By adjusting the fornt and rear wheel toe as near as possible to 0,and adjusting the rear wheel camber to under the spesified values,we have overcome the problem of uneven tyre wear

Kenney, the "official" rear camber is -1 deg 20' +/- 30' (for 16" & 17" wheels). What settings do you use?

kenney
21-10-2009, 09:38 AM
around - 45 mins

BenR
21-10-2009, 03:39 PM
As I may have reported elsewhere, I wrote to VW and insisted that this was their problem as it is now well documented and I would not pay the £150 or whatever that they wanted to align the rear wheels. Eventually the MD wrote agreeing to do the alignment for £50 + vat, which tells me they know there's a problem and want to just cover the cost of the test. Got the wheels aligned and.... I may be imagining it but the thrumming sound now seems a lot less obtrusive.

FWIW if one of my customers has a legitimate complaint I will usually agree to supply replacement material "at cost", which satisfies his honour while ensuring I don't actually lose money!

d_onions
23-10-2009, 11:52 AM
Reference earlier reques for Kumho info, my Ecsta KU31's have now covered nearly 10k, and wear seems OK. Grip in the wet is getting worse though, as you'd expect. They are quiet and seem good value for the money compared to some other more expensive brands. I researched and found a tyre test which gave top marks to the Kumho for wet weather braking:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/total_tyre_guide/213186/tyre_guide.html
The ultimate test for me is when they need replacing, then I will know if they are better value than spending more on longer life tyres...

d_onions
24-10-2009, 07:26 AM
Another note on the Kumho's. I was looking to try to get more mileage from them compared to my previous 'softer compound' Pirelli P-Zero's. I was advised that these tyres should give more miles as they are apparently a harder compound. No noticeable noise difference, but mpg is consistantly around 5mpg down. Some quick maths:

18000 miles that my Pirelli's gave me, average 50mpg (long motorway commute), even at 3mpg worse = 6% lower fuel economy.
6% of 360 gallons (18000 miles @ 50mpg) = 21.6 gallons more required over the life of my previous tyres for the same distance in the Kumho's. At a guess, about £100 needed in fuel, or maybe my tyres need to give me another 25% or so in mileage to compensate for the extra £100 fuel expenditure?

bundao
24-10-2009, 09:44 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by kenney http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/applied/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=427413#post427413)
By adjusting the fornt and rear wheel toe as near as possible to 0,and adjusting the rear wheel camber to under the spesified values,we have overcome the problem of uneven tyre wear

Kenney, the "official" rear camber is -1 deg 20' +/- 30' (for 16" & 17" wheels). What settings do you use?


I'm taking my car in to an indy on Monday to sort this inner edge wear thing out.
What to I need to ask/tell them to do exactly because I'm confused?

teddy
25-10-2009, 01:35 PM
its all got to do with the way the car was manufactured for lhd and the suspension setup for rhd was never changed.
when i was bringing my b5 for test this year i got wheel alignment done and it failed on it alone,went back got it put back to what it was before hand and it passed. A mate of mine works in vw and he sees it all the time. its just a manufacture problem.

dunkley201
25-10-2009, 05:10 PM
its all got to do with the way the car was manufactured for lhd and the suspension setup for rhd was never changed.
when i was bringing my b5 for test this year i got wheel alignment done and it failed on it alone,went back got it put back to what it was before hand and it passed. A mate of mine works in vw and he sees it all the time. its just a manufacture problem.
:confused: Teddy, now I am totally confused - how does LHD/RHD set up affect alignment? - which should be equal each side! Also, where in the test do they check alignment? (unless the RoI test is really different to UK, which would surprise me). Not doubting you! I just need to know!

teddy
25-10-2009, 09:25 PM
yea roi test is stupid,it will fail u on wheel alignment, but if yer antiroll bar links or bushings r hanging out it will pass???????????
i dont know how it makes a difference but ffrom what iv been told its got to do with the camber of the roads and all that technical stuff.

Reynger
17-03-2010, 02:13 PM
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james_tiger_woo
17-03-2010, 03:14 PM
Just to throw this in - my Golf seems to be suffering from the same problem. I've not had it looked at yet though....

Quatrelle
17-03-2010, 08:37 PM
....We took the car into our servicing VW dealer for an 'end of warranty' check and they reported disproportionate inner wear of the rear tyres.

They recommended the vehicle be re-aligned or something and quoted £150.00 plus VAT. The cost of two new rear tyres would be on top.

When I asked how come a vehicle with 28,500 miles from new and three years old needed 'realignment', was told it must be something to do with the way I drive.

Yeah. Right.

Anyway, there was no suggestion that VW was in some way to blame for this tread wear business and obviously, no offer of sorting things out under the warranty, which was still in force at that time.

We drove to our friendly local (village) garage which looks after our other family cars. The engineer told us to forget about forking out money for the re-alignment. He said the wear wasn't that excessive and that when we changed the rears, ensure they were inflated slightly more than VW recommends -- a bit unfortunate, really, as the ride is hard enough on this Passat without making it any harder!

You should be able to get your rear wheels correctly aligned for less than £150 - others have, do a search - and over-inflating your rears will make very little difference to the abnormal rate of wear, while you are still feeling uncomfortable. As a matter of interest, did your friendly garage man say how much 'slightly more' is?

Your dealer was just bull$hitting you. As you are obviously aware (and I expect he is), this is a known issue.

Quatrelle
17-03-2010, 08:38 PM
Just to throw this in - my Golf seems to be suffering from the same problem. I've not had it looked at yet though....
jtw - has anyone else with a Golf had this problem?

Reynger
18-03-2010, 01:52 PM
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Quatrelle
18-03-2010, 08:27 PM
Many thanks, Q: excellent advice, and I'm hunting around this very minute (oop in the far north of Cumbria) for an alignment facility. Bit disappointing to realise that VW isn't, after all, any different from any other major motor manufacturer when it comes to 'fessing up to fallibility. . .

It is disappointing. My dealer has taken care of any problems I've had under an extended warranty, but this runs out at the end of the year. I don't do many miles, so it's worrying to think what the future holds. By the time I get to the mileage where some of the problems arise that others have reported on here, VW will have forgotten what a B6 Passat is (conveniently).:(

Reynger
18-03-2010, 09:02 PM
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Astonm
20-03-2010, 10:32 PM
I have had the uneven tyre wear since owning the car 3 years ago, last year after another set of tyres VW told me that a 4 wheel alignment would sort the problem out. £120 later and 2 new rear tyres all was well, now at only 10k miles on new rears the problem is back and to say I'm p***ed off is an understatement.

Spoke to the dealer and they are saying that its now "common" on all Passats and VW are aware of the problem and "hopefully" are trying to sort the problem out.

Well I'm sorry to whing on but this is by far the worst car I have ever owned, problem after problem, tyres, squeaks, rattles (one has popped up lately behind the dash and VW wants £500 to take the dash off) I really hope that VW read these threads because I can tell them now that this will be my last VW!!!

Matt C
20-03-2010, 11:53 PM
Same problem on my MkV golf on the original factory fit tyres. It became noticable at 25,000 miles. For me it was noticeable that the tread grooves had very sharp edge (almost with burrs). Put OptiGrips on about 20,000 miles ago and no recurrence so far.

Reynger
21-03-2010, 01:47 PM
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Quatrelle
21-03-2010, 08:29 PM
I'm reasonably certain it's not a chronic fault, because not everyone on here has had the problem, but you do wonder how many left the factory with the rears set incorrectly to toe out.

Mine have been ok, but I wonder if the car left the factory with excessive toe-out at the front, since I had wear on the insides and had to have new front tyres at 10,000 miles (I know for sure I hadn't kerbed it).

When the tyres were replaced and the front alignment checked/corrected they also checked the rear, although I didn't ask for that.

ajweekes
22-03-2010, 10:05 AM
Had my alignment done at the weekend. On the rears had one with toe-in and the other toe-out. That explains why I needed to put lock on to travel in a straight line. VW gave me rear wheel steering....

The toe-out tyre had the worst saw tooth

Reynger
22-03-2010, 12:54 PM
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ajweekes
22-03-2010, 01:32 PM
Glad to hear the problem's been diagnosed and rectified.

Just for the record: did the dealer do the work or did you use an independent specialist?

Used an independant from this website

http://www.alignmycar.co.uk/

Quatrelle
22-03-2010, 03:15 PM
Had my alignment done at the weekend. On the rears had one with toe-in and the other toe-out. That explains why I needed to put lock on to travel in a straight line. VW gave me rear wheel steering....

The toe-out tyre had the worst saw tooth

That's the problem. The driving wheels should be toe out, non-driving wheels toe in or straight ahead.

Most modern cars are fwd, and if I take my old MG to get the steering tracked, I get funny looks when I ask for toe-in.

Sorry if I'm 'teaching granny to suck eggs' here.

mr meema
08-04-2010, 03:38 PM
Everyone here seems to be singing the same old tune!
I have a 170 Sport estate and you guessed it, the dealers have fobbed me off with the same old excuses.
I had a new set of Pirelli P Zero Rosso last year, the rear ones were singing like a good un!
The current set are starting to chirp up now after about 12,000 miles.
I have to say the fronts wear so quick with the amount of wheel spin you can get with this beast.
I will probably try a different brand on the rear and move the rears to the front next time.
Can anyone recommend a QUIETER tyre for the rears.

Thanks.

Mr M.:1zhelp:

fat controller
08-05-2010, 10:00 PM
Sorry to bump this thread up, but I fear that I may also have the rear alignment issue.

Between 48mph and 58mph approx, I get what I can only describe as a 'harmonic' noise, a bit like the drone you would get from a knackered wheel bearing - this noise is worse if I am rounding a left hand bend.

The rear tyres still have plenty of tread left on them (Goodyear Efficientgrip), although feeling the tread, the outer edges seem to be wearing oddly (run your hand round the tyre one way and it feels normal, run it back the other way and it feels as though the leading edge of each tread block is raised - I assume this is sawtooth wear?); the nearside tyre feels much worse than the offside tyre.

There is a tyre specialist just round the corner from the house , which has a Hunter laser alignment machine - am I right in thinking that the only course of action is to get them to sort the alignment at the rear and then replace the tyres? (Annoying given the tread that is left)

Would I cause any damage by leaving alone for a while, to get some more wear out of the tyres?

The Rover
08-05-2010, 10:36 PM
Sorry to bump this thread up, but I fear that I may also have the rear alignment issue.

Between 48mph and 58mph approx, I get what I can only describe as a 'harmonic' noise, a bit like the drone you would get from a knackered wheel bearing - this noise is worse if I am rounding a left hand bend.

The rear tyres still have plenty of tread left on them (Goodyear Efficientgrip), although feeling the tread, the outer edges seem to be wearing oddly (run your hand round the tyre one way and it feels normal, run it back the other way and it feels as though the leading edge of each tread block is raised - I assume this is sawtooth wear?); the nearside tyre feels much worse than the offside tyre.

There is a tyre specialist just round the corner from the house , which has a Hunter laser alignment machine - am I right in thinking that the only course of action is to get them to sort the alignment at the rear and then replace the tyres? (Annoying given the tread that is left)

Would I cause any damage by leaving alone for a while, to get some more wear out of the tyres?

Serves me right for saying I was happy with my estate but it also has the "saw tooth" problem. :mad:

I am going to use one this company as they have a centre not far from me.

http://www.alignmycar.co.uk/

d_onions
08-05-2010, 10:40 PM
I had my car laser aligned last year, yet the saw tooth problem has reared it's ugly head again at a similar mileage on the rear nearside tyre. If you switch the backs for the fronts, your know straight away if the noise is from your tyre or it actually is a knackered bearing.

sharantdi
09-05-2010, 08:29 AM
I think that this is big problem for vw, not only vw passat but also a friend of mine with vw Touran and my brothers vw touran is suffering from the same issue. I had my passat 4 times at dealers for aligning jobb but they could never solve this problem....First time I had to change rears after only 8000 km. Humling noise from the rears was driving me crazy..... 4 visits at the dealers and second pair of tyres lasted 14000 km before humling noise were back again. If your tyres are not worn to much and if you can live with humling noise from the rears, I think you can put som more miles on these tyres...




Sorry to bump this thread up, but I fear that I may also have the rear alignment issue.

Between 48mph and 58mph approx, I get what I can only describe as a 'harmonic' noise, a bit like the drone you would get from a knackered wheel bearing - this noise is worse if I am rounding a left hand bend.

The rear tyres still have plenty of tread left on them (Goodyear Efficientgrip), although feeling the tread, the outer edges seem to be wearing oddly (run your hand round the tyre one way and it feels normal, run it back the other way and it feels as though the leading edge of each tread block is raised - I assume this is sawtooth wear?); the nearside tyre feels much worse than the offside tyre.

There is a tyre specialist just round the corner from the house , which has a Hunter laser alignment machine - am I right in thinking that the only course of action is to get them to sort the alignment at the rear and then replace the tyres? (Annoying given the tread that is left)

Would I cause any damage by leaving alone for a while, to get some more wear out of the tyres?

Quatrelle
09-05-2010, 09:21 AM
Fat Controller - sawtooth wear usually affects the inside section of the tread of both rears, caused by toe out (rather than the correct toe in).

fat controller
09-05-2010, 10:24 AM
I'll need to get a look at them properly later then, must admit that I've not really checked the inside edges - the outside edge of the rear nearside definitely feels as though it is rough on the leading edges when running your hand in one direction.

I'm fairly convinced that it is tyre related as the noise only appears at certain speeds, and is more noticeable on some surfaces (the road that runs off the top of my street up to the dual carriageway shows it really clearly).

I am wondering about throwing a set of cheapo tyres on the rear to see what happens, and if it goes away for a while then maybe consider realignment and decent tyres?

Only problem with that is that I am not overly convinced that budget rubber is as safe, or indeed if it would create noise of its own?

Reynger
09-05-2010, 12:10 PM
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Rick 63
09-05-2010, 08:36 PM
Hi

I recently had Falken tyres fitted to a 4x4 I use to have before the passat,I know there different beasts completely but the tyres were very good.Had plenty of grip in the wet and weren't too noisey either.
Let us know what you think of them on your passat as mine need changing soon.

Rick

Reynger
10-05-2010, 10:24 AM
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Rick 63
10-05-2010, 09:02 PM
Hi Reynger
Glad your liking the Falkens,will look at them myself now whenI change mine.

Rick

BenR
11-05-2010, 08:29 AM
I posted a picture of my rear tyre at 62,000 miles on here a few weeks ago:

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e49/C957/P1050875.jpg

The inside edge is to the right.

At the time the noise started around 42,000 miles I went and complained to the dealer (Lookers Blackburn) who sold us the car. Of course they tried to fob me off with the usual blather: "It must be the way you drive... you must have kerbed it/hit a pothole... etc etc" They invited me to pay around £150 for a track check. I refused and wrote to this man:

Mr Chris Craft
Liaison Officer
Volkswagen Passenger Cars
Selecta Post 12
SHEFFIELD
S19 3ZU

....who eventually agreed to let me have the tracking checked for £50. This was done and the wheels were found to be slightly out of alignment.

Months later, after I got the photo above I posted a print of it to the same gentleman at VW. A few days later I received a phone call from a young man named David Alston who asked rather grumpily if I would mind emailing a full-sized colour version of the picture to him. That's the last I've heard of it. My guess is that Mr Craft was a little shocked to see the actual proof of the problem so told his colleague to get hold of the picture for emailing to Volkswagen in Germany.

David Alston's email address is: volkswagencustomercare@volkswagen.co.uk if anybody wants to email them.

Got a pair of Primacy Pilots fitted at 62,000 miles and the noise has disappeared. Blissful peace! A pal has the same car and he has now got the droning noise, which also started at 42,000 miles.

fat controller
11-05-2010, 03:32 PM
Nothing visible on my rear tyres as yet, but that is probably because they've only done 10k. The rear nearside tyres outer edge feels normal if I run the flat of my hand anti-clockwise over the tread, but when I go clockwise there is almost a 'sharp' quality to the leading edge of each tread block.

There is definitely a noise from mid forties to mid fifties mph, which is more likely to appear if I am on a left hand bend.

If I moved the wheels front to back, what are the chances that this would flatten any irregular wear out? Or would I only suceed in upsetting the handling whilst transferring the noise to the front?

dunkley201
11-05-2010, 05:38 PM
If I moved the wheels front to back, what are the chances that this would flatten any irregular wear out? Or would I only suceed in upsetting the handling whilst transferring the noise to the front?

To prove if you have irregular (ie sawtooth) rear tyre wear problems, move both wheels back to front and vice-versa. When on the front, the wear shows itself as noticeable vibration through the steering wheel. You will quickly then move them back again! :D

fat controller
11-05-2010, 06:10 PM
Thanks - I'll need to give it a shot when I next have a day off (god knows when that is going to be!)

BenR
16-05-2010, 07:37 AM
For those who are interested in this, I thought I'd update you.

Just received a long letter from David Alston, Liaison Officer at VW cars, explaining in numpty terms how tyre noise is caused and hoping that this explains VW's position on tyre wear. The information is so irrelevant to VW's position that I am completely mystified. I will write back next week thanking him for his homily on tyre noise and asking what happened to page 3 where he actually explained VW's attitude to the factory misalignment.

Bizarre.

fat controller
16-05-2010, 09:42 AM
I had a close look at my spare the other day, and it appears that its one that has been on the car - - the adhesive around the rim where its been refitted to the spare wheel give the game away; and the excessive wear to the inside edge of thee tyre shows me that its been on the back.

Now, I was wondering - as the Goodyear tyres that I currently have on the back are still pretty new (they can't have done more than 10,000 miles), if I took the car to the alignment centre nearby and had them straighten it out, would the current uneven wear then 'wear out' of the tyre (if you follow me)?

Flintstone
13-06-2010, 10:14 AM
Joined a thread about this problem a while ago and got no real advise. Decided to pay £50 and get all wheels computer tracked at VW agent. Removed rubbish Pirreli tyres and fitted Avons -they're definitely not calling! Quiet as a mouse and showing no signs of inner rippling after 20k. This might have cracked it for me. Don't give up - the car is brilliant.

fat controller
13-06-2010, 12:06 PM
Joined a thread about this problem a while ago and got no real advise. Decided to pay £50 and get all wheels computer tracked at VW agent. Removed rubbish Pirreli tyres and fitted Avons -they're definitely not calling! Quiet as a mouse and showing no signs of inner rippling after 20k. This might have cracked it for me. Don't give up - the car is brilliant.


Which Avons did you fit? I've read mixed reviews on their tyres, and to be honest some reviews scared me.

DSG4ME
13-06-2010, 02:26 PM
TBH 62k from a rear tyre is quite good miles, the noise I'm told affects all Passats, I would err on the side of compounds on this, I fitted some Wanli's to my Skoda and she sounded like all 4 wheel bearing were shot, it's a bit of a game, soft for low noise and increased wear, hard for noise and long life.

Now, let me tell you this one, I had a Pug 405 that took the original fronts out in 8k, just the outside edge by 1 inch, the rest of the tyre was like new, Pug's solution, set at 0 degrees, i.e straight ahead, seemed they'd had the same issue with a van before as well, I got two new rubs out of them in the end, they only wanted to pay for 1 but I got the 2 in the end, back then you could still use the ....c'mon play the white man routine, and it used to hit home hard most of the time.

balsaboy
13-06-2010, 07:19 PM
I have thesame type of problem on my wifes A3 sportback,been through on full set already and just found out from the garage i need another set and 4 wheel alignment!

fat controller
13-06-2010, 08:11 PM
I have thesame type of problem on my wifes A3 sportback,been through on full set already and just found out from the garage i need another set and 4 wheel alignment!

It seems to be something that is not confined to VAG cars - speaking to a colleague the other day about this very issue, he told me that he had experienced similar issues with his '02-plate Honda Accord - once he had the four wheel alignment done and a set of new boots, all was well again.

Maybe its a symptom of the wider tyres that seem to be getting fitted to cars nowadays, coupled with the suspension adjustments to make them handle well?

Quatrelle
13-06-2010, 08:16 PM
In VW's case it appears to be quality, since a lot of cars seem to have left the factory with the problem.

This thread has now had more views than the B6 sticky. Says it all.

fat controller
13-06-2010, 10:05 PM
In VW's case it appears to be quality, since a lot of cars seem to have left the factory with the problem.

This thread has now had more views than the B6 sticky. Says it all.

We can but hope that VW return to the quality standards that they built their reputation on. Of all the marques I've owned (and I've had more than a few!), I've had more VW's than any other marque. Most of that is on the back of my very first one, which was a Golf MKI, and was the first car that stole my heart.

slime101
13-06-2010, 10:28 PM
Interesting thread about this issue, having just purchased a 4motion estate im a little concerned as this was present before i made them replace all 4 tyres.

I intend on getting 4 wheel alignment done ASAP as i clock up a lot of miles and while the tyres are new its the time to do it - however, can i make VW pay under warranty, or perhaps claim under the dealer warranty i have?

Also with the talk of tow in and tow out, what happens with 4motion where all wheels are driven (potentially)????

maddogphysics
14-06-2010, 07:53 PM
I bought my Passat estate last year and almost immediately noticed quite a loud humming noise when up to about 50/60 mph.

I just got used to it.

Had the car serviced last month and they mentioned the front tyres were worn on the inside, MOT failure.

They also said the back tyres had un-even wear.
they quoted £95 + VAT for 4 tyre alignment.

I bought 4 brand new bridgestone tyres off ebay and took them to a tyre fitter in Loughborough who fitted them and then did the 4 wheel alignment. £80 all in.

Noise has gone, no wheel spinning in 2nd, and fuel consumption, I've noticed, is much better.

The cars must come out of the factory driving sideways!!!

slime101
14-06-2010, 08:35 PM
I tackled VW over this today, and they even have an official bulliten blaming the tyre companies for making tyres with individual blocks which wear in such a way and categorically stated it has nothing to do with alignment or suspension geometry...... :zx11:

dunkley201
15-06-2010, 09:14 AM
I tackled VW over this today, and they even have an official bulliten blaming the tyre companies for making tyres with individual blocks which wear in such a way and categorically stated it has nothing to do with alignment or suspension geometry...... :zx11:

Ha! So all makers from Avon to Wanli (& all premium brands in between) are making bad tyres! :biglaugh:

DSG4ME
15-06-2010, 09:48 AM
That's VAG all over, never their fault, always shift the blame elsewhere.

slime101
15-06-2010, 12:12 PM
Its not a clever thing for them to be claiming really but what can you do....the only thing to do is rial the tyre companies and hope they take on VW.

The chap did say they have hundreds of these reported so at least they admit its common!!! When i asked why with the same tyres (white lie, but very similar in same size) on my A3 i didnt get this i was told its because the car is lighter, he then went on to say its ad on the passat because it has a light back end!

slime101
15-06-2010, 12:27 PM
Just called Pirelli (0845 961 6263) and spoke to them - guess what.....its VW's design problem.

If you speak to Pirelli they will explain exactly why it happens, and its not the tyre manufacurers fault, its within the setup/design of the vehicle and as such is VW's fault.

Of course VW will keep denying this but Pirelli admit its a very common problem with these vehicles!

Quatrelle
15-06-2010, 07:11 PM
If it was the tyre manufacturers then my tyres would have worn on the back - they haven't.

I'm sure Bridgestone would also have an opinion on this....

fat controller
20-06-2010, 12:16 PM
Does the tyre load rating have any bearing on things, and what load rating does the Passat require?

I ask, because my rear tyres are currently 93 (Goodyear), whilst the fronts are 97 (Dunlop).

johnloaderuk
20-06-2010, 01:34 PM
Does the tyre load rating have any bearing on things, and what load rating does the Passat require?

I ask, because my rear tyres are currently 93 (Goodyear), whilst the fronts are 97 (Dunlop).

Should be 97, which are extra load rated. This Kwik Fit page shows the load ratings:

http://www.kwik-fit.com/writing-on-my-tyres.asp

martin1810
20-06-2010, 01:46 PM
According to VW the saloon is 93 and the estate 97. I guess the higher load figure is for the possibility of extra weight in the estate. If I understand it correctly the higher load figure for the estate is to allow the same speed as a saloon but with more weight. I take this to mean that at normal UK speed limits it doesn't matter which tyre you have, even on an estate. (as long as you are not carrying concrete blocks in the boot.)

johnloaderuk
20-06-2010, 02:21 PM
My first 2005 Passat Sport saloon required 97 load rated tyres, and if I put my reg number in to Kwik Fit they also suggest 97 for my 2010 Saloon. Not sure if they can be relied upon, but I would have thought better to have XL than not. Any tyre experts here ?.

Try the link and enter your reg number, see what spec they suggest.

http://www.kwik-fit.com/tyre-search.asp

fat controller
20-06-2010, 04:20 PM
My first 2005 Passat Sport saloon required 97 load rated tyres, and if I put my reg number in to Kwik Fit they also suggest 97 for my 2010 Saloon. Not sure if they can be relied upon, but I would have thought better to have XL than not. Any tyre experts here ?.

Try the link and enter your reg number, see what spec they suggest.

http://www.kwik-fit.com/tyre-search.asp

Checking my reg on there brings up a choice of either 93 or 97 :confused: - would differing load ratings have any bearing on ride quality and/or noise?

johnloaderuk
20-06-2010, 07:21 PM
Checking my reg on there brings up a choice of either 93 or 97 :confused: - would differing load ratings have any bearing on ride quality and/or noise?

I'm no tyre expert, but I would think the ride and noise between the two would be minimal at worse case. I always think when you have new tyres fitted the ride and handling feels different anyway, especially on the front, hardly surprising given the 25k miles of flexing/twisting/turning etc the old ones have gone through.
Perhaps different tyre manufacturers suggest different load ratings, based upon their testing of front to rear vehicles weight, overall weight, wheelbase, etc.
Any tyre experts out there ?.

martin1810
20-06-2010, 08:33 PM
There is a black sticket on the passenger b-post with WVWZZZ3C etc on it. Above this is a number like e1-2001/116-0307. This is the type approval number. You can use this to check all tyres that were approved for your vehicle. Under this approval a 1.9 tdi estate 2006 can have 205/55 R16 91H, 215/55 R16 93H, 235/45 R17 94V & 235/40 R18 95Y tyres. If you chose to fit higher speed rated or higher load rated tyres that is fine. Under spec tyres would obviously not be a good idea.

fat controller
20-06-2010, 09:13 PM
Once I've got the number, where do i look it up? Sorry if I am being really thick :o

DSG4ME
20-06-2010, 11:17 PM
I noticed it on mine last night at around 60-70 mph, almost like a faint version of when you hit the raised lines to wake up the sleeper, and mine has 3x Premacy Pilots' and one Conti.

martin1810
21-06-2010, 11:10 AM
Once I've got the number, where do i look it up? Sorry if I am being really thick :o
http://sites.google.com/site/1810martin/passat-b6-tyre-wheel-combinations :D

fat controller
21-06-2010, 06:42 PM
http://sites.google.com/site/1810martin/passat-b6-tyre-wheel-combinations :D

Cheers! :beerchug:

potshot
24-06-2010, 10:20 AM
I have recently bought an ex lease 06 2.0 TDI SE Estate which had done 120K. The tyres were 3mm on front and 7mm on rears. I didn't look at the inside edge of the rears until I read this thread. The offside rear is almost flat on the insides and the nearside ininner edge is badly worn and saw tooth but both tyres are within legal limits as they have 7mm over the central 75%. The fronts are Bridgestone Turanza ER300 215/55/R16 97W have even wear and are in good condition but are nearing end of life and the rears are Dunlop Sport SPone 215/55/R16 97W. Being ex lease I have no idea of the history except that I know it belonged to flooring supplier based in Kent but the unused spare tyre is a Michelin Premier XSE 215/55/R16 97W which I assume is the original fit.

I went to the local independent to have it laser wheel align checked. The settings quoted in a recent post are the standard settings for the estate with 16/17" wheels namely- camber: -1 deg 20" +/- 30"s and toe: 10" +/- 10". Strangely enough the camber on my nearside (the least worn tyre) was well over 2deg and the offside was just under 2deg. Both have now been adjusted to min spec -0deg 50" and run parrallel.

I have atached images of the offside rear, nearside rear, offside front and the unused spare tyre.


Now the interesting bit the specialist was adamant it wasn't just a Passat only problem or indeed VW, it effects Audi's, Mondeo's (see http://www.fordmondeo.org/forum/showtopic.php?tid/766186/) and similar newer cars/estates. Always assumming the car has been delivered within spec and that no accidental damage has affected the tracking then it is down to the tyre. BUT that is not to blame the manufactures per se..... It is down to the particular tyre and tread design on the inner edge. There has already been quite a lot of discussion of the various brands which would seem to bear this out. Also discussion hardness of a particular compound which probably has an effect as well.

Quite clearly the Dunlops have worn badly. There good reports on the Michelins. So it is really down to us to find the best tyre and price combination.

DSG4ME
24-06-2010, 11:13 AM
Dunlops are reknown for soft comfort compound, Michelin has always imo been the best tyre company, and for those who want a cheap one that will last, but will hum, get some Wanli's.

Adrian44
24-06-2010, 11:15 AM
And the Wanli's will slide in the wet!!!

DSG4ME
24-06-2010, 12:40 PM
And the Wanli's will slide in the wet!!!


They're not that bad tbh, not as good as something better I admit, the worst I ever had for that were Nexen/Roadstone 2000's they were truely aweful, the Wanli be warned though are the noisest tyre I've ever owned, so I advise you only put them on the rear, and let the bloke behind you suffer it, but they do wear well, and I suppose that's why they are noisy due to hard compound.

potshot
24-06-2010, 01:27 PM
It would appear that the most important thing in relation to the tyre wear is the tread pattern on the inside unsupported blobs will wear more quickly and more liable to saw tooth effects

slime101
24-06-2010, 08:48 PM
Never ever buy cheap tyres!

They are the only thing that keeps you on the road and out of the ditch and the back of the car in front. The contact patch is tiny between road and tyre, buy cheap tyres and you take a small area and effectively reduce it by poor design and cheap materials.

potshot
24-06-2010, 11:00 PM
I was always told never scrimp on your shoes or your bed - because your spend two thirds of you life in one and the remaining time in the other.....

That said paying loads of money for poorly designed shoes, beds or tyres is equally stupid.

fat controller
30-01-2011, 04:03 PM
Sorry to bump this old thread back up, but my latest dilemma is well and truly related!

Simply because of a lack of cash, I left tyres as they were, also working on the assumption that the winter would take its toll on everyones rubber, so in my case I was as well letting the existing tyres take the brunt and then change them in the better weather.

However, my hand is now being forced as I have already ran the front tyres considerably longer than I normally would (I usually change at 3mm, and my fronts are now 1.7mm :yikes:) so they need renewed - yesterday!

Now, here is my dilemma. Money and I are still not the best of acquaintances, so I am not looking to spend a fortune - the chances of me being able to afford to have the four wheel alignment done in the near future is slim at best (cambelt and MOT are more important) so I don't know whether to:

- replace the fronts only and put up with the thrum from the rear for a while yet (rears have 5mm, but are worn more on the inner shoulders, and I have noticed that the car is becoming somewhat 'skippy' on rough surfaces in the wet), and then hope that I have the cash to do the alignment and the rear tyres later in the year

- get all four replaced with mid range tyres, in the knowledge that I will get a year to eighteen months out of them before the thrum becomes unbearable again, and then get the whole lot done once more with alignment when cash flow is easier

The vast majority of my driving is urban with occasional dual carriageway stuff - motorways or country roads are a rarity for me now, and the roads around here are in a diabolical state (just like the rest of the UK), so at the moment I am leaning toward getting the four and not worrying overly about them for a year.

I won't go for the real 'cheapo' stuff - they must be cheap for a reason, surely? Nor do I like the idea of going for part worns, simply because you just never know???

Some sample prices compare as follows (four tyres) on research so far;

Nexen CP461 £300.48 from Black Circles - - £345.20 from etyres - - N/A from Event Tyres

Falken ZE912 £332.40 from Black Circles - - £400 from etyres - - £354.72 from Event Tyres

Etyres Mid Range (brands may vary) - £266 (budget choice even cheaper, but just too 'budget' I think) - - Black Circles Value Choice - £255.12

I have emailed etyres to ask what brands they are currently sending out as their Mid-Range ones.

Around the £400 to £420 mark, there are loads available, but to be honest I would struggle a bit with a bill like that at the moment.

Any experience of any of the above, and all input gratefully received. :)

potshot
30-01-2011, 04:29 PM
Point 1
Your car can have every safety feature in the world but the one item you have to rely on for your life is your tyres so there is no value or sense in scrimping.

Point 2
Fitting budget tyres always cost you more long term as they will wear out quicker and may not save you from a costly accident - you may be insured but how long can you afford to have your car off the road etc etc

Point 3
There is absolutely no point in putting any new tyres of any description is you are experiencing saw tooth wear without getting the wheels properly aligned. There must be a good indy near you who will do it for a sensible price - mine charged me £45 and they need quite a bit of adjustment - he would have done it cheaper for folding stuff.

Point 4
Your new tyres should go on the rear after wheel alignment. If the existing rears were not near the legal limit (despite the 5mm they may well be illegal, mine were) you could try putting them on the front but you would have monitor them closely. that might give you some wear and time before you woulkd need to replace them

Quatrelle
30-01-2011, 04:56 PM
x2 - you're throwing good money after bad if you don't get the rears aligned.

8ig_steve
30-01-2011, 05:00 PM
07 170 tdi Sport Estate 54000 miles

I put my droning rear tyres on the front and they were awful, made twice as much noise on the front as they had on the rear.

I have been considering swapping the rear tyres side to side on the principal that if there is sawtooth wear then running the tyre in the opposite direction may have useful effect.

I must add that I have never detetcted uneven rear tyre wear, nor could I see or feel any sawtooth wear but each set of tyres starts that awful droning after very few miles.

I also find it annoying that dealers happilly report that the noise is caused by the rear tyres as though it was a normal and acceptable happening completely disregarding the fact that it was VW suspension that ruined them.

I wonder if the latest Passats have the same problem!!

Trapper
30-01-2011, 05:47 PM
I have Dunlop Sport Sp1's on my 170 estate and have just over 18k on them, I have changed rears to front to even the wear and will still need to change them in a few months time. I have driven carefully and am not a boy racer though I am no slouch either and know every speed camera in my area!

Having no income or job since being made redundant Christmas 2008 funds are understandably tight, I am thinking of using the Falken FK-452 from whoever is cheapest, these are around £357. (All 4) from Blackcircles whereas the Dunlops will set me back £516. (All 4) I did have the 452's on the rear of my previous 530d and had no problems.

I would never use budget, used or similar tyres but am not after using on a track day either although Blackcircles rate the 452's for High Performance and the Dunlops for Ultra High Performance.

Has anyone had any experience of the 452's on a Passat?

fat controller
30-01-2011, 05:49 PM
Nearby wheel alignment place has quoted £45 to look, and then the price will rise accordingly depending on what is adjusted up to a max of around £120. :( Trouble with that is the fact that the cost could just run away without any options. Unless anyone knows of a cheap (but decent) indy in the Staines / Sunbury / Feltham / Twickenham area?

The inner shoulders on my rear tyres are not nearly as bad as some I have seen posted on here, and it appears that it is only the rear nearside that is suffering the sawtooth wear; normally, I would put the rears on the front and the new on the rear, but I am concerned that they will vibrate or be more noisy than they are on the rear (and they are slowly driving me mad where they are).

Would you consider the tyres that I am looking at to be cheapos then? I was under the impression that they were middle of the road types - not going to set any records in any areas, but safe enough for the money? Am I resigned to looking at branded tyres then?

Reynger
30-01-2011, 07:12 PM
-

fat controller
30-01-2011, 07:48 PM
Reynger - that helps immensley, thank you!

When mooching about this morning, I liked the look of the Falkens - they seemed to be a decent balance of quality versus price, and Black Circles price was half decent.

I have learned of a place not too far away that does four wheel alignment, so I will give them a ring tomorrow and see what they charge - if they are half reasonable, I'll print the Black Circles prices off, and see if they will match the price for a set of Falkens - I need to get this sorted, as it is getting to me now.

Reynger
30-01-2011, 08:42 PM
-

fat controller
30-01-2011, 08:47 PM
Thanks :) - The funny thing is, that quite often some things are harder to find (especially at a sensible price) down here - I suppose overheads are higher, but considering that this is supposed to be the capital city, you can still travel miles to find what you want.

nick.king
30-01-2011, 09:06 PM
Bugger, I've just had to have a rear tyre replaced, when they took it off it was all lumpy and out of shape on the inner edge.

The other side was fine but it's only been on the car 2 weeks.

So now I've got 4 brand new Goodyear Eagle F1's all the way around. Cost £100 each.

Looks like I'll have to look into a 4 wheel alignment as well to stop it ripping the rears to pieces.

Trapper
31-01-2011, 12:23 PM
As a previus owner of two BMW 530d's (E39 & E61) Falken 452's are well thought of by a majority of drivers on the BMWland forums, I did have a pair on the rear of my last 530 but did not have the time to really try them as I returned the car to the BMW garage due to too many faults and got a refund!

I know many BMW drivers with 452's on were happy enough with them on Nurnburg track days.

This link will show some reviews on Falkens

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Falken/FK452.htm

fat controller
31-01-2011, 05:46 PM
Just back from a local independent tyre place that came recommended - looks as run down as hell, which put me off a bit, but every ramp in the place was full and there was a queue waiting, and a couple in the queue looked like they were owned by enthusiasts (nice alloys, shining like a new pin etc);

When I asked for a quote for tyres and all four wheel alignment, he queried if it was necessary, as it was usually fronts that needed done, and asked what car - when I told him it was a Passat, he agreed that the rears would need done and seemed well aware of the issues we have!

He offered budget (Event?) for £58 each, and £56 for the four wheel alignement, but was honest enough to admit that they were only just ok (besides, I think he saw my nose curl up at the thought of cheapos), so he offered Avons at £95, which I baulked at for no other reason than I have heard bad things a few times about Avons - everything else was well over £100, so starting to kill me.

I mentioned the Falkens, and he replied that they were a great tyre - but he had run out (running out of something means they are popular, no?), but offered to get them for me if I was willing to wait - - which I am, so asked when he would have them - - tomorrow morning! (hardly much of a wait), and the best bit is that he is only relieving me of £82 each for them, and the alignment is £56 :)

By this time tomorrow, she'll have her new boots and be all straightened out - thanks all! :)

Trapper
31-01-2011, 06:09 PM
FC. Can you let us know your thoughts on the Falken's, ride, noise, wet grip etc all the usual things we like to know;) Are you replacing Fronts or Rears or all 4?

Were they the 452 you've gone for?

Had a quick look at the rears and did not notice any sawtooth edges but will have a proper look as soon as I can, does this alignment problem show up after a period of time or what? Mine is a May 2008 build, 18.400 miles.

I swopped the wheels round last year front~back and back~front and all seemed to be fine.

fat controller
31-01-2011, 08:58 PM
I'll happily report back once they are on and let you know what they are like :) - I'm pretty sure that its the 912's that I have gone for - I couldn't remember the model number earlier, but the chap at the tyre place seemed sure which ones suited the car best; for all the place looked as shabby as hell, the guys I spoke to were really helpful, and were more than willing to make sure that I got what I wanted.

The wear on mine is still at the hard to spot stage - I bought the car last April, and in the first couple of months I was only really aware of any noise between 40 and 50 mph; more recently, as the miles have piled on, it has became increasingly noisier and now I have that 'shot wheel bearing noise' at most speeds now.

Looking at the tyre, its hard to tell that there is anything wrong - but when I rub my hand clockwise around the tread there is a definite 'edge' to each tread block that is not felt when I rub my hand counter-clockwise. The tell tale for me was the spare - when I took it out of the boot, the inside edge was scrubbed completely and the outside edge was as rough as a badgers.... come to think of it, I will ask them to transplant the offside rear onto the spare as it is in much better nick.

Had it just been the rear tyre noise, I would have put up with it a while longer - the spur for me was the fact that the fronts were worn to the limit (the first time I have ever had tyres worn below 3mm as far as I remember!)

bigrich1
31-01-2011, 10:59 PM
Hi Guys,

Excuse my ignorance, but is the issue with alignment the camber or toe?

The reason I ask is that there is a good DIY method of checking toe that I have used, using straight edges and fishing line (works really well on the kitcar car I built and takes into account front to rear suspension setback - which many 2 wheel laser alignments don't)

Link to it is here:-

http://elantragtclub.tripod.com/elantra/id554.html


If the issue is camber then I have a magnetic Camber gauge I can use to set mine up...I assume the eccentric pivot on the rear is used to adjust the rear camber?

...also, what are the recommended settings for the front and rear geo. My new Haynes manual says (for a Sport):-

Front: -41' +/-30' camber

Rear: -1 deg 20' +/-30' camber

Front and rear toe:- 10' +/-10'


Any thoughts or recommendations from experience??

Ta

Rich

kenney
31-01-2011, 11:10 PM
Cool adjusting equipment bigrich1:approve: By adjusting the front and rear wheel toe as near as possible to 0,and adjusting the rear wheel camber to under the spesified values,we have overcome the problem of uneven tyre wear

Stuart W
01-02-2011, 06:09 AM
I had the sawtooth noise problem with my original Dunlop SPs, but it didn't affect the longevity of the tyres and I got around 62,000 miles out of them.

They were replaced by Firestone Firehawks and strangely there's been no noise problem with them - or at least it's not been so noticeable - and they seem to be wearing slightly better than the Dunlops and look good for 70,000 at least, although because I've got an MOT before then and will need new fronts I might get the rears done as well.

But there's never been anything done to the car re the alignment, so I'm just assuming the Firestones have coped better with the problem.

Unless VW adjusted them for me as a freebie when they replaced the tyres - maybe they treated it as a warranty item, although they certainly never told me and it's not on any of the invoices.

fat controller
01-02-2011, 08:30 PM
All done, and the car is transformed! It is remarkably quiet, the ride is vastly improved, and so far there appears to be plenty of grip (been a bit 'sensible' admittedly, as I know how slippery new tyres can be).

The inference was that the camber setting isn't adjustable (or didn't need it), but my problems were due to toe settings - I have the print out from the machine which I will scan at work tomorrow, and then I'll post it up for those with more knowledge than I have to see what is what. Either way, its a vast improvement - thanks for all the advice :)

Quatrelle
01-02-2011, 10:01 PM
Camber incorrectly set wouldn't create sawtooth wear, it would just mean the inside of the tyre (or outside, depending on settings, if anyone remembers the Mk 1 Hillman Imp) would wear quicker, but be just as smooth as the rest of the tyre.

Trapper
02-02-2011, 12:33 PM
Good news then:D

Which version were they, 452 or another number?

Did you get all 4 replaced or just 2 on the front?

I would love to hear how they perform in wet as some Bmw owners say they are great and a few were not impressed but that of course was on a rear wheel drive.

Trapper
02-02-2011, 03:30 PM
Blast it, or words to that effect:zx11:

Just emailed Falken and got this reply:



Thank you for your email, the ZE912 would be a better option in terms of
pattern as this will give the comfort, low noise and mileage return.
However we need to know the load speed rating required for the car.
These details should be in the owners handbook for the car.

The ZE912 is availble with a rating of 97V and also 93H. If your car
needs a W rated tyre the only pattern suitable is the FK452 which comes
in with a rating of 93W. The FK452 gives maximun grip and handling but
will wear out quicker and will be noisier than the ZE912.

I hope this is of use.

My tyres are W rated so the 912's are no good for me:mad::mad:

safety, comfort, low noise and mileage return is what I am looking for. Plus of course, value.

Back to the drawing board.......

fat controller
02-02-2011, 05:16 PM
Good news then:D

Which version were they, 452 or another number?

Did you get all 4 replaced or just 2 on the front?

I would love to hear how they perform in wet as some Bmw owners say they are great and a few were not impressed but that of course was on a rear wheel drive.

Got all four - I could see no point in faffing about any longer as the rears only had maybe 4mm left anyway; If I had put the rears on the front, and the new ones on the back as you should, I reckon it would have made the fronts noisy and possibly even introduce a steering wobble; If I didn't get the alignment done, I was going to ruin the new tyres on the back too, so no matter which way up I looked at it, I was in for a big bill sometime soon anyway, so I thought I was as well just getting it over with.


Blast it, or words to that effect:zx11:

Just emailed Falken and got this reply:

My tyres are W rated so the 912's are no good for me:mad::mad:

safety, comfort, low noise and mileage return is what I am looking for. Plus of course, value.

Back to the drawing board.......

Don't necessarily despair - some sites quoted mine as W rated, but going by data provided by Martin in a link in this post (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=530076&postcount=122), mine turned out to be V rated. Got to be worth a look?

As soon as I get a shot at them in the rain, I'll update.

Not only have they cured the noise at higher speeds, but a noise that I had at full right lock at crawling speed has also gone :)

Trapper
02-02-2011, 06:00 PM
Thanks for the reply FC, you learn something everyday! Excellent link and will investigate further later.

Just checked the performance figures for my 170bhp in the Passat specifications blurb, this lists the top speed as 137mph.

So a V rated tyre is rated at 149mph (12mph higher:D)
and a W rated tyre at 168mph.

My tyres are rated as 91 which has a load index of 615kilo
the 97 rating has a load index of 730kilo. (115kilo greater:D)

If the above is correct then I can use the 912 97V on my car :approve::D.

Looks like VW fitted OTT tyres in the first place!

I will double check my facts before I order any though.

fat controller
02-02-2011, 09:36 PM
Thanks for the reply FC, you learn something everyday! Excellent link and will investigate further later.

Just checked the performance figures for my 170bhp in the Passat specifications blurb, this lists the top speed as 137mph.

So a V rated tyre is rated at 149mph (12mph higher:D)
and a W rated tyre at 168mph.

My tyres are rated as 91 which has a load index of 615kilo
the 97 rating has a load index of 730kilo. (115kilo greater:D)

If the above is correct then I can use the 912 97V on my car :approve::D.

Looks like VW fitted OTT tyres in the first place!

I will double check my facts before I order any though.

Martin's site is a goldmine of info - in fact, someone like Martin or Crasher would be the ideal people to clarify what tyres are suitable for your car.

rapport25
02-02-2011, 10:11 PM
All done, and the car is transformed! It is remarkably quiet, the ride is vastly improved, and so far there appears to be plenty of grip (been a bit 'sensible' admittedly, as I know how slippery new tyres can be).

The inference was that the camber setting isn't adjustable (or didn't need it), but my problems were due to toe settings - I have the print out from the machine which I will scan at work tomorrow, and then I'll post it up for those with more knowledge than I have to see what is what. Either way, its a vast improvement - thanks for all the advice :)

Great result fat contoller :approve: what was the exact make and model as Mrs Rappy's needs some new boots.

fat controller
03-02-2011, 05:11 PM
Great result fat contoller :approve: what was the exact make and model as Mrs Rappy's needs some new boots.

Falken Ziex ZE-912 (http://www.falkentyres-uk.com/tyre-details.aspx?id=29) - so far, they are to be highly recommended. Last night the roads were damp (that sort of greasy, but not wet way), and I had a right idiot cut me up in such a way at 50mph that braking was not an option :aargh4: - change lanes and lay on the power was the only answer, which I did, and the tyres coped admirably well (and miles better than than the boots that had came off); they didn't squirm under the torque, and gave nice feedback throughout.

They might not be as expensive as Continental or Michelin, but a budget tyre they are not. :approve:

I remembered to scan the alignment stuff today, so here it is if it helps anyone

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x7/fatcontroller_2007/From%202011/IMG_0004.jpg

Trapper
03-02-2011, 05:44 PM
Thanks for the 'wet' update FC, that's good news.

The 97V will be fine for my 170SEL so I will be getting all 4 fairly soon.

I asked Falken if there were any price rises in the pipeline as it would be a little while before I needed them, they replied that prices will rise in April. So anyone thinking about these have until then to sort them.

I have been driving for over 40 years and only ever had one car 'wheel aligned' due to a skid and handy ditch:mad:. I find it strange that VW should make a car with this apparent common problem. Is it on all B6's or limited to a version/year?

potshot
03-02-2011, 06:09 PM
Thanks for the 'wet' update FC, that's good news.

The 97V will be fine for my 170SEL so I will be getting all 4 fairly soon.

I asked Falken if there were any price rises in the pipeline as it would be a little while before I needed them, they replied that prices will rise in April. So anyone thinking about these have until then to sort them.

I have been driving for over 40 years and only ever had one car 'wheel aligned' due to a skid and handy ditch:mad:. I find it strange that VW should make a car with this apparent common problem. Is it on all B6's or limited to a version/year?

Take a look http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=531090&postcount=124

fat controller
10-02-2011, 10:30 PM
First day with a proper amount of rain since the tyres were fitted, and they are excellent in the wet - grip levels and stopping ability was all but the same as it is in the dry, so I am a happy man. Anyone considering tyres for a Passat would do well to consider the Falken's :)

rapport25
10-02-2011, 10:36 PM
First day with a proper amount of rain since the tyres were fitted, and they are excellent in the wet - grip levels and stopping ability was all but the same as it is in the dry, so I am a happy man. Anyone considering tyres for a Passat would do well to consider the Falken's :)

Great, just what I wanted to hear :approve:. Mrs Rappy's new boots will be Falken's.

Trapper
12-02-2011, 10:46 PM
Checked the rears and pleased to say not any sign of uneven wear.

Thanks for the 'Wet' update on the Falken's FC, these are the ones I will be fitting soon. Before the price rise!!

fat controller
12-02-2011, 11:00 PM
Checked the rears and pleased to say not any sign of uneven wear.

Thanks for the 'Wet' update on the Falken's FC, these are the ones I will be fitting soon. Before the price rise!!

You are welcome :) - Hope you are as happy with them as I am.

Reynger
14-02-2011, 12:23 PM
-

fat controller
14-02-2011, 06:16 PM
Thanks Reynger - now that they have bedded in, I have complete faith in the car again - she is quieter, smoother riding and has stopped skipping about over rough surfaces. Definitely one of the better things I have done recently.

rapport25
14-02-2011, 06:19 PM
Thanks Reynger - now that they have bedded in, I have complete faith in the car again - she is quieter, smoother riding and has stopped skipping about over rough surfaces. Definitely one of the better things I have done recently.

Thats great to hear. Roll on pay day!!!

Trapper
23-02-2011, 05:56 PM
I don't think I will be down to the webs for a while yet so I have agreed with the tyre dealer to buy soon and fit when needed, that way I can beat the price rise and still use all the legal rubber left on the tyres.:D:D As a matter of interest the best price I could get locally was £330.00 for all 4 fitted, balanced, valves and disposal of old ones.

fat controller
23-02-2011, 11:38 PM
I don't think I will be down to the webs for a while yet so I have agreed with the tyre dealer to buy soon and fit when needed, that way I can beat the price rise and still use all the legal rubber left on the tyres.:D:D As a matter of interest the best price I could get locally was £330.00 for all 4 fitted, balanced, valves and disposal of old ones.

That is pretty much what I paid for mine, with my extra being the alignment cost. Good of the dealer to let you buy them now and hold them for you - sounds like a decent sort of fellow.

I'd be interested in your opinion once you do get them fitted :)

Trapper
24-02-2011, 09:51 AM
Thanks F.C. I will certainly lodge my opinions of the Falken's. I will buy the tyres and store them in my garage until I need them fitted, the fitters have agreed to give me a receipt to say that they will be fitted free when needed.

That way, if they should go out of business:(, at least I will still have the tyres to take somewhere else to be fiited!:D

fat controller
24-02-2011, 12:00 PM
Thanks F.C. I will certainly lodge my opinions of the Falken's. I will buy the tyres and store them in my garage until I need them fitted, the fitters have agreed to give me a receipt to say that they will be fitted free when needed.

That way, if they should go out of business:(, at least I will still have the tyres to take somewhere else to be fiited!:D

Good idea - mind you, with their keen prices and helpful attitude, its unlikely that they will go belly up.

TimBishop1980
02-03-2011, 02:25 PM
Hi everyone, I hope you can help,

I have a 07 plate Passat 170 TDI Sport saloon. Firstly i have to say I love the car on the whole, engine is a great balance of economy Vs power.

But........9,000 miles ago I put a new pair of Dunlop Sportmax on the rear, and moved the part worn Contis to the front. I noticed this weekend that the rears are very nearly as worn as the front and I reckon will be done in 12000 miles. The wear is even accross the whole tyre, just simply down to 4mm in 9,000 miles.

There is everyso slight saw toothing but not a lot. I genuinely drive like a saint as do 30 to 40,000 miles a year, and mostly up and down motorways. I am a fleet driver trainer so assure you it isnt abusive driving!

Does anyone have any ideas if it is the brand of tyre (and if so what should i go for) or is there something else???

I want to work out what I need to do before this set of tyres is done, which only gives me about a month at the rate i stick the miles on.

Please help!!!
:aargh4:

rapport25
02-03-2011, 02:46 PM
Is your passat a 4 motion? Seems strange that the rears are wearing out so quickly :confused:.

I also have a passat sport. Mine is running Pirelli Pzero rossi's.

I have covered over 13,000 miles and when it was Mot last month I still had 4mm on the fronts and 6mm on the rears. I expect to get around 15,000 to 18,000 before the fronts need changing.

I find these tyres great!!!:approve: I'm tempted to try the same as what FC is running next. Also get your tyres nitrogen filled this will help the tyres last longer

Hth's Rappy.

TimBishop1980
02-03-2011, 03:00 PM
@rapport25,

Nope defo no 4motion, I am hoping a change of brand will help, I have found a few threads on various sites slating Dunlop tyres for poor wear on passats, sounds like either Pzero rossi or conti's are the way forward.

I dont mind spending out on tyres, just not more often than needed!!!

I would be happy with 18000 out of a new front set, at this rate I not even going to get that from the rear tyres....

Thanks for your input,

Any other thoughts welcome folks!

Quatrelle
02-03-2011, 05:44 PM
Hi everyone, I hope you can help,

I have a 07 plate Passat 170 TDI Sport saloon. Firstly i have to say I love the car on the whole, engine is a great balance of economy Vs power.

But........9,000 miles ago I put a new pair of Dunlop Sportmax on the rear, and moved the part worn Contis to the front. I noticed this weekend that the rears are very nearly as worn as the front and I reckon will be done in 12000 miles. The wear is even accross the whole tyre, just simply down to 4mm in 9,000 miles.

There is everyso slight saw toothing but not a lot. I genuinely drive like a saint as do 30 to 40,000 miles a year, and mostly up and down motorways. I am a fleet driver trainer so assure you it isnt abusive driving!

Does anyone have any ideas if it is the brand of tyre (and if so what should i go for) or is there something else???

I want to work out what I need to do before this set of tyres is done, which only gives me about a month at the rate i stick the miles on.

Please help!!!
:aargh4:
If there's sawtoothing on the rears you need them re-aligned. Even a small amount of sawtooth will accelerate wear, since although the wear shows on the inside, the whole width of the tyre will still be in misaligned contact with the road.

Some tyres will, obviously, give better mileage than others but that is excessive, so if you're running at the right pressure and nothing else is amiss it can't be much else than misalignment, especially if you're alone in the car. Is the rear loaded? What was the tread depth when new?

fat controller
02-03-2011, 06:01 PM
Don't know if its connected or not, but the tyres I had on the front of mine were Dunlops, and they were the ones worn to the point of needing changed recently; the Goodyears on the back had plenty of meat on them, but were suffering from the sawtooth wear.

Oddly enough, when I bought the car last April, I remember commenting to my Mrs that the tyres had plenty of tread and shouldn't need changing for a while - yet just under 8000 miles later, the fronts were on the legal limit.

I'd still highly recommend Falken ZE-912's if it helps, and would agree with Quatrelle that you should also consider getting the alignment sorted at the same time to save your next set of tyres getting prematurely worn.

Reynger
02-03-2011, 06:32 PM
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rapport25
02-03-2011, 06:45 PM
Hi Tim: I can't contribute much of anything except to say that I followed the advice of so many wiser heads here (nearly said, wiser 'old' heads, but of course, they're all still teenagers) and so as my post back at #88 chronicles, we had our Passat's alignment computer-checked and then when on the hunt for new tyres.

The alignment didn't actually identify any major failings but was great for peace of mind, and the new tyres we finished up with were just so darn good (price and performance) that I have to stop banging on about 'em lest folks think I'm working for, er, Falken. ;)

Hope you get things sorted soon!

You do:D. I thought you were a Falken dealer;)

Reynger
02-03-2011, 06:56 PM
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Stuart W
02-03-2011, 07:47 PM
My original rear Dunlop SPs lasted 60,000. The replacement Firestone Firehawks are still going strong and I'm hoping to get 80,000 out of them.

On the front the original Dunlops lasted 27,000, and I've had the mid-priced Firestones and a few cheap as chips £50-a-wheel jobs and they've all done well over 20,000 miles.

That's my sixth set just on the front so they've averaged 25,000 miles each.

On the orginal Dunlops on the rear I was getting the tell-tale sawtooth drone, but it didn't seem to affect their life and there wasn't much visible evidence, but there doesn't seem to have been the same problem with the Firestones.

Reynger
02-03-2011, 09:06 PM
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Stuart W
02-03-2011, 10:15 PM
Stuart: that's a great yard-stick, so many thanks. I'd be happy with an average of 25k. We purchased our Passat second-hand privately, so don't know how long the fronts have been on, but at the time of purchase the mileage was under 15,000 and now we're about to hit 40,000 and the same utterly unpronounceable Vredenstein (eh?) Guigaros (another eh?) are still there, though now about to be changed to an unmentionable brand. . . ;)

Clearly there are lots of factors to consider, but I think the highest quoted on here is perhaps 30,000 for the fronts and three times that for the rears.

Of course, some are just getting a fraction of that, so it's perhaps not realistic to use these figures as any kind of benchmark or target, but it's certainly possible to get high mileages out of tyres on the Passat.

And although mine isn't driven too hard it doesn't have the easiest of life either, and it's a taxi, not a motorway mile muncher.

Perhaps one factor is that a lot of people replace tyres at maybe 3/4 mm whereas it's when you get down to this sort of depth that the tyres really start to wear well, and although the first few mms disappear quickly the last few often seem to go on and on, especially on the rears.

Of course, replacing tyres when they're half worn perhaps optimises stopping distances and the like, but a careful driver with a cheap tyre at 3mm is probably safer than a Clarkson wannabee with brand new £150ers.

I think ;)

Reynger
03-03-2011, 01:07 PM
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ToMBoY_C
03-03-2011, 03:22 PM
Hi everyone, I hope you can help,

But........9,000 miles ago I put a new pair of Dunlop Sportmax on the rear, and moved the part worn Contis to the front. I noticed this weekend that the rears are very nearly as worn as the front and I reckon will be done in 12000 miles. The wear is even accross the whole tyre, just simply down to 4mm in 9,000 miles.



Been away for a while, thought I'd read this thread to see what's going on, but to be honest I cant tell... I read the second to last page and saw Tims post. Thought it was Ironic!

I have Dunlop SP1's, had them for 5000 miles and they're ready for changing! Not best pleased, so I'll be getting me some Conti Sport Contact 2's in the next few month!!

Back tyres have been on since I've had the car, so approx 30k plus they werent brand new!! Plus still life left :D

TimBishop1980
04-03-2011, 02:45 PM
Thanks for your help everyone, it is great to venture into this tinternet world and find so many people willing to share their knowledge.

I have car booked for full 4 wheel laser aligment, with full suspension check/bushes etc so that should square it away.

Am torn between having Perreli of Falken to replace with, def wont be dunlop.........

Genuine thanks

Tim

fat controller
04-03-2011, 04:44 PM
Thanks for your help everyone, it is great to venture into this tinternet world and find so many people willing to share their knowledge.

I have car booked for full 4 wheel laser aligment, with full suspension check/bushes etc so that should square it away.

Am torn between having Perreli of Falken to replace with, def wont be dunlop.........

Genuine thanks

Tim

Pirelli are OK - had them fitted to my first Jag, and they gripped well (stuck like sh*t to a blanket), were reasonably quiet and even coped pretty well in the wet. My main issues with them was that they wore at a hell of a rate, and were the same price or more than some of the other tyres available - in the end, I ditched them in favour of Goodyear Excellence, which wore well, gripped well, but turned out to be a noisy tyre and gave a hell of a hard ride.

For the money, I would say the Falkens are your best bet.

TimBishop1980
04-03-2011, 05:16 PM
@ tomboy, have you found the contis to last well then?

sparkyrjp
06-03-2011, 03:53 PM
I could not be bothered to troll through 19 pages of this subject , but my Tdi140 Sport has suffered this "saw tooth " problem almost from day one( which , along with the parking brake problem and sticky door lock problem my dealer denies as an existing problem :zx11:), I thought the problem may have been OEM Bridgestone tyres , so after some 50k miles the back tyres have been moved to the front in preparation for a new pair of tyres for the back , the previous front Bridgestone tyres were replaced with Goodyear F1s , they lasted 13k miles , not good . so do I just go cheap all round at £60/70 or premium at up to £200 a corner .head ,heart , and wallet are seriously split .
Moving the saw tooth tyres to the front has now moved the noise of bearings/ gearbox to the front now !! time for some serious roundabout driving to scrub the tyres flat

fat controller
06-03-2011, 05:41 PM
I could not be bothered to troll through 19 pages of this subject , but my Tdi140 Sport has suffered this "saw tooth " problem almost from day one( which , along with the parking brake problem and sticky door lock problem my dealer denies as an existing problem :zx11:), I thought the problem may have been OEM Bridgestone tyres , so after some 50k miles the back tyres have been moved to the front in preparation for a new pair of tyres for the back , the previous front Bridgestone tyres were replaced with Goodyear F1s , they lasted 13k miles , not good . so do I just go cheap all round at £60/70 or premium at up to £200 a corner .head ,heart , and wallet are seriously split .
Moving the saw tooth tyres to the front has now moved the noise of bearings/ gearbox to the front now !! time for some serious roundabout driving to scrub the tyres flat

Like you, I was torn what to do for the best, as I needed two front tyres and had two rears with the sawtooth wear noise, but still with 4 or 5 mm tread left. In the end, rather than pay around £200 a corner for two tyres, I opted to go for a set of four Falken ZE-912's (£82 each) and have the four wheel alignment done (£52), so £380 all in.

The Falkens continue to impress as the car handles and rides really well, no matter the prevailing road conditions, and I have the peace of mind that the new tyres are not getting unevenly worn by poor alignment, so hopefully I have seen the back of the sawtooth problem as well.

Find yourself a decent independent tyre place that does four wheel alignment, and ask if they will supply and fit Falken ZE-912's, and get it done - you will feel like you are driving home in a different car.

dunkley201
06-03-2011, 05:42 PM
I had the dreaded saw tooth wear. Then last May/June (prior to first MOT) I had a full alignment done to 'spec' plus a set of Hankook Ventus Prime fitted. That was @ 32K. Now, @ 40K, I note the tread depths are 5.5mm fronts, 6.5mm rears. (I never did check the depths when new! :Blush2:) Also the rears are showing wear on the inside edges. There is an almost inperceptable leading 'edge' to the inner tread blocks felt when rubbing the palm of the hand against the direction of rotation. The tread feels smooth when rubbed the opposite way. Swapping the tyres front to rear & vice versa revealed a slight vibration felt through the steering wheel from the (now) front tyres. I suspect these symptoms are indicative of a return of the saw tooth wear! Tomorrow I will go for another alignment check and get the rear set up as near as dammit parallel with a reduced camber angle as per Kenny suggests.

Tricky Red
06-03-2011, 06:54 PM
Dunkley201 - where did you have the alignment done?

dunkley201
06-03-2011, 08:20 PM
Dunkley201 - where did you have the alignment done?

ETS Tyres, London Rd, Newark. They have a Hunter Pro-Align Electronic rig

Tricky Red
06-03-2011, 08:27 PM
ETS Tyres, London Rd, Newark. They have a Hunter Pro-Align Electronic rig

I have heard that ETS are good. Wasn't sure what area of Notts you were in.

TimBishop1980
07-03-2011, 05:45 PM
ETS Tyres, London Rd, Newark. They have a Hunter Pro-Align Electronic rig

Do you mean Farndon Road? My inlaws live up there and the only ETS they can think of is on Farndon Road.....they could well be old and confused......

Reynger
07-03-2011, 06:23 PM
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dunkley201
07-03-2011, 06:24 PM
Do you mean Farndon Road? My inlaws live up there and the only ETS they can think of is on Farndon Road.....they could well be old and confused......

Yes, Farndon Rd! I'm the one who is old and confused! I'll get me coat....

TimBishop1980
07-03-2011, 07:04 PM
Reynger: No not yet, cant seem to find Falkens in 235/45/17 97W so prob land on either Conti contact 2s or Perreli Rosso thingmyjigs.

I have her booked in for friday for service and investigations, I am expecting them to 4 wheel align but this is a ******* we are talking about soooo........................will keep you posted

TimBishop1980
07-03-2011, 07:05 PM
Yes, Farndon Rd! I'm the one who is old and confused! I'll get me coat....

Tis a shame they are only based in Notts, as I am 250miles away.....will try to find a good place locally and also get them on it when I am visiting my outlaws!!

Cheers

Reynger
07-03-2011, 08:56 PM
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TimBishop1980
17-03-2011, 09:48 PM
Right, 4 new shiney Michalin SP3s ordered up, to be followed by a full alignment set up, my credit card is whimpering but hey!!

I'll see how they go and will report back in a few months when I have banged 10,000 miles on them

TimBishop1980
24-03-2011, 01:26 PM
Not done the 10,000 miles yet but thought it worthy of a quick note. Had the Michelin Piolet Sport 3's fitted all round (£525 ATS) and then full laser alignment at VW (£130). Car now feels "right", ie, doesnt skip around on bends and roundabouts, even when pushing REALLY hard.

These tyres have amazing grip, I doubt I have the bottle or skill to lose traction in anything other than a straight line and even then it takes serious abuse of the throttle/clutch. If these wear anything as well as all the reviews say i will be very happy!!!

Seems that if you are having issues with rear tyres on a Passatt then its off the VW for a full alignment and then buy some decent tyres!!

Thanks folks, will update on longevity of the tyres when they start wearing!

Tim

Ponomis
24-06-2011, 05:54 PM
Just thought I'd share my experiences. Bought a approved used passat last week and only took a few miles to hear the rumbling noise. Took the tyres off and noticed the saw-tooth wear on the inner edges. Anyway, took my car into the dealership today and was watching when it was up on the jacks. They had 4 technicians standing around talking about it for about 15 minutes. Eventually, one of them comes back and says the middle portion of the tyre is within limits. I then mention saw-tooth wear, toe-in etc and he goes back and has another conference with the other guys. He then comes back and says they will do a four wheel alignment and replace all four tyres free of charge. I hadn't actually demanded anything so am reasonable happy. Just hope that the problem is fixed!

JimC64
12-07-2011, 05:15 PM
A6 here riding on Khumo Ecstas 255 x 35 x 19 and noticed a distinct humming really, almost like a wheel bearing on its way out? Took it to one of the local tyre jockeys who checked and reported back that the wheel bearings seemed fine. Unconvinced, I had it at Audi a week later for some other work and asked them to look at it, they reported no problem. I even took one of the techs on a test drive and although the noise was there he seemed to just think it was road noise.......no problems with the bearings etc as he had deffo checked.

I have ran my hand over the outer edge of the tyre and from front to back its smooth as a babys bottom......try it the other way and it seems as sharp as a razor!!
Obviously this " saw toothed wear pattern" that there's 20 odd pages of posts about!!

The thing is I've never really noticed this before, the cars at 84k now and had more than a few tyre changes as I like to swap my alloys around from time to time too and usually get new rubber then. Its usually been run on adiet of Bridgestones or Contis and never experienced this issue. The last set of Alloys I got came fitted with Khumo Ecstas ( not overly impressed with them btw and tend to drive much more carefully with less confidence on grip levels in the dry and certainly in the wet ) and its these that have these problems. I'm not 100% sure of the mileage they've completed but there's still around 5mm all round and I'd guess at around 7k-8k covered to date.

The noise is getting worse and starting to drive me batty......I may try changing from front to rear as with big tyres comes BIGG prices....lol
I could do wothout spending a £1000 right now

I'll try and chip back in as to how it goes

Jim

JarGon
04-03-2012, 11:17 AM
I'm having the same uneven wear on the rears, had full lazer alignment and it was spot on? After the alignment I fitted Yokohama tyres on the rear which are now nearly dead after 30k miles, they actually look fine until a garage pointed out to me that the inside edge is showing its threads!!!! This is ridiculous!! VW need to sort this nonsense out!!

My favourite tyres are Goodyear Eagle F1's, I will be fitting 4 in the next few days, but dreading them wearing on the inside again!!

One question, do you all fit XL-extra load tyres?

Quatrelle
04-03-2012, 02:29 PM
Who did your rear-wheel alignment? If you've had the same problem again it suggests that the job wasn't done properly.

I don't think there's been many (if any) cases here of owners having the same problem after having their rear wheels aligned correctly.

I've no wish to defend VW originally sending out cars with their rear wheels wrongly aligned, but it's not their fault if someone else has had a go at it. If it was done by a VW dealer or a 'specialist' I think I'd want to know why there's still a problem.

I've got a saloon, but hopefully someone with an estate can answer your question regarding XL tyres.

JarGon
06-03-2012, 09:38 PM
Mine is a saloon too, it had xl tyres when I bought it?

My alignment was done by Wembley Tyres, best tyre shop in London imo, can't be beaten on price

Quatrelle
06-03-2012, 10:03 PM
Mine is a saloon too, it had xl tyres when I bought it?

My alignment was done by Wembley Tyres, best tyre shop in London imo, can't be beaten on price
My saloon does not have XL tyres.

The fact that they're the best tyre shop in London and can't be beaten on price is meaningless if they didn't do the job to the correct spec. For a start, did they toe them in or out? Did they give you a print out of the results?

Something's wrong somewhere.... :(

JarGon
09-03-2012, 10:40 AM
Ok I'm going in there again later today to get some Eagle F1's fitted to the front, so I'll get them to check again

I do have a print out somewhere from when they were done originally, I'll dig it out

MikeM46
12-03-2012, 01:58 AM
Only recently bought my late 2008 Highline 140 tdi estate from a vw dealer up country. Had a bit of a debate with them about the required load rating, some of the tyres were being replaced by them, ... & in the end phoned VW customer services who confirmed the estate should run on 97xl rating

RichardSEL
12-03-2012, 11:03 AM
Only recently bought my late 2008 Highline 140 tdi estate from a vw dealer up country. Had a bit of a debate with them about the required load rating, some of the tyres were being replaced by them, ... & in the end phoned VW customer services who confirmed the estate should run on 97xl rating

You might want to look at:
http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?128783-Rear-wheel-bearing-B6-2006-estate-2L-tFSI

As I had the same issues with my estate too. If you need I can scan the laser diagnostics' full report?

Cheers
RichardSEL

MikeM46
12-03-2012, 05:14 PM
Thanks RichardSEL ... but I was only confirming the load ratings.

Fully agree re alignment ... I always have a 4 wheel laser alignment on every vehicle I get, this one (58 reg tdi 140 Highline) also now runs on a set of Hankook Optima 4S all-weather tyres, but so new, too early to comment on except that no problems at all in the fair weather we're enjoyng in Devon!

Rogg2
26-04-2012, 01:43 PM
I bought my 2.0 Highline diesel Estate CR engine 3 months ago about 23000 on the clock. Since then I have done 4000 miles ish. Regularly glanced at tyres and looked fine although they were unknown makes to me. The spare was original Perelli and had never been on the car. Last week arrived at work and thought one rear tyre looked low so checked it and it was down to 16 psi. Changed the tyre expecting to see a nail or something but was shocked to see steel brading exposed around inner surface!!.The other rear was not quite so bad, so drove it my local independant where I bought it from. Having read lots on this post I requested a new Pirelli to match the new spare I had fitted and asked for an all wheel alignment. Went to pick it up and was told it wasn't ready!. He checked the alignment and one rear was 11mm out and the other was 6mm out! He then moved it to the ramps and checked it again only to find both rears were spot on! . He discovered the rear tie rods were worn and replaced them now alignment is bang on!. He spoke to VW and apparently they sell a lot of these, and was obviously the cause of excessive and rapid inner tyre wear. I am suprised though that they should wear so quickly ( under 27000 miles )and at £ 51 each plus fitting, plus 2 new tyres I am natrually very dissapointed. My last one was a B5 130 TDI sport estate, and in my opinion a much nicer car to drive. The other thing I had noticed was it felt very twitchy on damp or wet roads but I blamed this on the cheap tyres the previous owner had fitted. Drove this morning through torrential rain and it is a completely different car!

JimC64
26-04-2012, 02:03 PM
Nice post Rogg.....There's definitely a lot to be said for branded rubber IMO.

I've always used Bridgestone, Continentals or Pirelli myself and never been let down........yes they're expensive but you really do get what you pay for when it comes to tyres.
I had a set of Kuhmo Ecstas on my alloys when I bought them and the tyres were brand new.......Although fairly decent tyres I IMMEDIATELY felt the difference and the car was much more squirrely especially in the wet and around corners. If driven within limits and in the dry they do a job I guess but needless to say I'm on Conti's again.......

rjt64
26-04-2012, 05:05 PM
My 2008 highline estate had done 30k or so when I heard what I thought was rear wheel bearing noise. It was still on the original Pirellis , which still had plenty of tread on them, but the guy in my local tyre place said the noise was definitly being caused by the sawtooth effect. I bought 2 new Avons to stick on the back, and he put the Pirellis on the front ( to replace the worn out-2nd set- of Pirellis there), as he reckoned there was a good few thousand miles left on them. Trouble is the noise is still there, but coming from the front now. I was hoping that it would decrease as the tyres wore, but so far-1000 or so miles-its still rumbling away. I guess I will wait another 1000 or so and then decide.
What I really want to ask is if it is worthwhile having a four wheel alignment done at the VW dealer, and will it stop the Avons suffering the same sawtooth wear as the Pirellis?
Thanks

RichardSEL
27-04-2012, 07:32 AM
Have the alignment check done at a Hunter-equipped laser alignment place. Have had two done with my '06 Estate one in Rainham, the other in Brockley SE London. Rainham found the rear alignment out, others in here have also found this fault in low mileage estates

Are you getting a rumbling noise that varies with road surface? And if the road surface is very good does the noise virtually dissappear?

RichardSEL

rjt64
27-04-2012, 01:25 PM
It does vary according to road suface, and also speed. Sometimes it almost dissapears and then you hear it again.
Cruising at 70mph on motorways, car is mostly quiet, drop to 50 or 60 and you hear it again.
I was going to go to the local VW dealer-they are saying £49.99 for a four wheel alignment, which seems reasonable.
How much was the Hunter-equipped laser alignment place?

BTW has anyone else noticed that the VW dealers are suddenly much more competitive price wise?

RichardSEL
27-04-2012, 02:35 PM
(www.wheelpoweralignment.co.uk (http://www.wheelpoweralignment.co.uk/)) £40.80 inc. VAT 13 April '11 + advantage that they're independent!
(www.elitedirect.com (http://www.elitedirect.com)) £35.94 inc. VAT 1 July '11 + ditto

dilun
29-04-2012, 05:56 PM
Hi all,had the rear tyres replaced on my 05 2.0 tdi sport due to inner edge wear,they lasted 27k miles.Have gone for Avons this time,the day after they were fitted we drove from north wales down to london,on arrival i took a look at the tyres and found that the outer edge looked as if they hadn't even been in contact with the road!.
Makes me think it's more of a camber issue, maybe worn bushes might be a factor too.

Quatrelle
29-04-2012, 07:05 PM
Did you have the rear wheel alignment checked when you had the Avons fitted?

dilun
30-04-2012, 10:27 AM
They took the car to seperate,magical,no unauthorized persons area!! to do the alignment check and said all was well.I'm sure i saw a piece of string hanging from the lads pocket when he got out of the car;).

Quatrelle
30-04-2012, 01:13 PM
To be fair, if they did use laser alignment, it's best to keep people out.

That still doesn't mean they did the job properly - ask them for a print out of their work.

MikeM46
01-05-2012, 01:32 AM
Second that ... get printout. It should also show the manufactureres spec for every measurement ... it's nigh impossible/impracticable to be spot on, for there are tolerances on some of the specs.!

If you can get a printout but it's just of the actual settings they made and/or checked as ok, but without the manufacturers specs, post those here & I'll check against my printout (Protyres, Exeter) which does include the VW specs for my 58 reg tdi 140 Highline estate.

Pezza
29-05-2013, 03:56 PM
Thought maybe I'd got away with this as I've had 154,000 miles of noise free motoring but now its started aaaaagh! Had two Dunlop Sportmaxx fitted 10k miles ago on the rear (never used the brand before) they have loads of tread left but the rumble is getting worse and worse reflecting all that's been said in the previous 27 pages. :( so the question is do I try the four-wheel realignment first to see if it makes a difference or is it best to get the tyres done at the same time?

Quatrelle
29-05-2013, 04:39 PM
Before you spend any money on getting the alignment done, check the tyres for uneven wear. If they're wearing evenly it seems pointless to me to pay for a realignment.

If they are ok, you could try moving the rears to the front to see if that makes things any quieter, or if the noise moves with them!

I have to say though that in my experience, moving tyres around is not necessarily a good idea - they seem to get used to the corner they're on.

A while ago I hit a deep pothole when driving our Laguna. It punctured a front tyre and even dented the rim. Put the spare on (it had spent its life on the rear), and drove on. I immediately got a droning noise which made me think I'd knackered the wheel bearing when I hit the pothole, but as soon as I fitted a new wheel and tyre the noise disappeared. It was the first time I'd ever experienced tyre noise on that car.

Pezza
29-05-2013, 08:00 PM
thanks quat I best give 'em a bit of a feel :o

dilun
30-05-2013, 11:38 AM
Thought maybe I'd got away with this as I've had 154,000 miles of noise free motoring but now its started aaaaagh! Had two Dunlop Sportmaxx fitted 10k miles ago on the rear (never used the brand before) they have loads of tread left but the rumble is getting worse and worse reflecting all that's been said in the previous 27 pages. :( so the question is do I try the four-wheel realignment first to see if it makes a difference or is it best to get the tyres done at the same time?

Seeing as it's done 154,000 id say there is a good chance that it could be your wheel bearings???. A friend of mine had a 56 plate golf with 36k miles on and needed rear wheel bearings! later found that it had knackerd rear shocks too, probably it was the shocks that caused the bearing to fail in the first place.
Sorry if this just gives you more things to check without a result, but, thought id give my pennys worth.

Just thought of something else too :o, my last set of rear tyres (Avon Z3's) lasted 6k miles before the inner edge on both sides were bald! decided to do the rear alignment myself the old fashioned way, tape measure and camber gauges. Had serious positive camber. Checked all the bushes and they seemed fine. Even with the camber adjustment at maximum travel i still have positive camber :confused: and I've adjusted the toe out, to toe in. The new tyres aren't showing signs of uneaven wear at the moment, but only covered about 1000 miles. One thing I have noticed though is that the car seems to roll a lot better, and I'dgo as far as saying that it's more economical. I'll see what they are like in another couple of k's.

RichardSEL
30-05-2013, 12:10 PM
20865
This is what you should get (mine July '11)

Quatrelle
30-05-2013, 02:12 PM
....and I've adjusted the toe out, to toe in. ....

If you had toe out it's not surprising that the insides were bald! Non-driven wheels shouldn't be toe out. Pos camber can give slight uneven wear, but it will be evenly spread across the width of the tyre and should take a while before it is noticeable.

Pezza
31-05-2013, 12:32 PM
Seeing as it's done 154,000 id say there is a good chance that it could be your wheel bearings???. A friend of mine had a 56 plate golf with 36k miles on and needed rear wheel bearings! Was your friend a lead seller? Bearings all good have had the car checked over when I had a new mass flywheel and clutch fitted last week :bigeyes: shouldn't complain though I spose 154k on the same clutch is acceptable...

patomlin76
04-06-2013, 01:18 PM
Seeing as it's done 154,000 id say there is a good chance that it could be your wheel bearings???. A friend of mine had a 56 plate golf with 36k miles on and needed rear wheel bearings! later found that it had knackerd rear shocks too, probably it was the shocks that caused the bearing to fail in the first place.
Sorry if this just gives you more things to check without a result, but, thought id give my pennys worth.

I've recently been through this tyre fiasco recently after the rear developed a hollow humming noise. At first I thought it may be tyre wear, and a lot of other garages did too. However rotating of tyres and even brand new Pirelli Rosso's on the rear made absolutely no difference. And then after travelling in a mates A4 which did have saw-tooth wear noise, I realised mine is nothing like a rumbling drone, just a hollow humming from now around 5-10mph upwards.

So most of the time you'll be dealing with noise from the wear of the tyres, but every now and then there may be another explanation. My car has covered 70,000 miles which you would think was young for a bearing to start to fail, but the full towbar electrics tells me at one point the car towed a caravan, maybe the extra weight towed has contributed to the problem. I have the rear bearings changed in a few days time, and that should cure my problem, 'cos the sound i have at the moment is like no other tyre sound I've ever heard!