Need advice - broken dual mass flywheel

[raveyd]

Hi all,

I own a Volkswagen Touran, year of manufacture 2002. I live in Belgium.

Recently the dual mass flywheel in the car broke (there is a big hole in the circumference of the flywheel), resulting in vibrations when accelerating, which resulted in the clutch plate springs coming loose and flying off, and also resulting in damage to the bell housing and gearbox. I needed to get the car repaired on an emergency basis before I could drive it again (I was on holiday in the UK at the time), and due to the snowy weather, I needed to leave the car in the UK for 3 weeks due to difficulties with getting the parts to the workshop who were doing the repair.

The repair needed was:
- strip down / remove the clutch system
- replace the dual mass flywheel & clutch
- replace the gearbox
- reinstall everything.

The total repair cost me 1300GBP, plus lots of personal inconvenience.

Since I had the problem, I have read a lot about it on the internet - it seems to have been a fairly common problem with Tourans produced around that time, and I believe Volkswagen recalled some vehicles because of it.

I was wondering if anyone on this forum can give me some advice on (a) is it worth complaining to Volkswagen (the flywheel is not a wear part http://www.carforums.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif and it should not break), and (b) how to go about trying to get some money back for the repair and inconvenience - where is the right contact?

I already went to my nearest dealer in Belgium, they were a bit useless - they told me to write a letter to another address in Belgium. I think I would prefer a more "direct" approach. Is there a kind of head office for complaints??

Thanks - appreciate any help anyone can give.

Matthew

[Peter Parker]

Sorry to say but a DMF is a "consumable" part and should be replaced every 80k miles. Mine went as I pulled away from a traffic light so damage was minimal, still cost me €1080 though.

[raveyd]

DMF a consumable part??? I'm surprised.

I had the car serviced a week before it broke (it's done about 100k kilometres - about 20k to go before 80k miles). Should they have picked up the fault and replaced it during the service?

Do you have any idea what is the most efficient way to complain to Volkswagen? I've tried the dealer - they were useless.

[Peter Parker]

I think the garage which did the service could/should have mentioned it to you, but unlike a timing belt service which is prescribed at 80k miles (I think!), replacing the DMF is considered good practice more than anything else. The 80k miles also is just an estimate since it really depends on clutch usage and not distance traveled.

Some times the DMF gives a warning that it's about to let go, sometimes (like in my case) it just goes.

With a 100k kilometers on the clock, I think you better forget about getting any sympathy from VW to be honest.

If you had the repairs in the UK done by a VW dealer, I think you should definitely complain about the unduly long delay (3 weeks). This is unacceptable. My Caravelle went in the Monday morning and I collected her the very next day after work.

[vwcabriolet1971]

Following is from previous post :-

I,ve fairly recently had a DMF clutch replaced on my wife's 04 Polo ( 1.9 PD TDI- 82,000 miles) . One day the gearchange was normal and the next day, the only to drive the car was to start the engine with 2nd gear already selected . Normal gear selection with the engine running was impossible. Had to drive 7 miles in 2nd gear to my favourite mechanic .
When the clutch & flywheel were removed it was found that the clutch pressure plate was boken into 3 pieces and the flywheel had hairline cracks . I was amazed that one day the car would drive normally and the next day the clutch/DMF could be in this condition without any warning signs. The old solid flywheel type would normally give some indication of impending doom ,i.e. slipping, noise etc .
The DMF friction plate was worn down on side to the rivet heads. A complete OEM quality new clutch flywheel DMF kit was about £280 (Euro car parts) . The dealer price for just the flywheel was over £400 !
It occurs to me that that the DMF design will operate at a higher temperature than a solid flywheel type as there is not the large mass of the solid flywheel to absorb the heat. The smaller mass of the DMF type flywheel friction plate will obviously heat up more quickly . Also it's much easier to balance a solid flywheel than a DMF type. It doesn't help when driving schools teach pupils to ride the clutch so that they are ready for an immediate getaway. I always snick into neutral and take foot off the clutch when comming to a stop. Didn't need any clutch work on my 142,000 MK4 Golf.
If I had the choice on a new car I would choose the old style solid flywheel.