Judder in 1st and reverse

[JonriceT6]

So my van has had a judder in first and reverse for a while, initially they said nothing was wrong last year, and today it’s in with VW Liverpool and they have said it could be clutch related .
They have also said they have to remove gearbox , clutch etc to have a detailed inspection but if nothing is found I’ll be charged labour of £500.
Or if the clutch is worn or over heated it won’t Be covered under warranty, if the warranty company deem it not defective.
Does this sound right?
I’ve Told them I know a few others (from here) who have had the clutch and DMF replaced under warranty after having the same issues.
I feel like they are robbing me off before they have even started.
My van is a 2020 t6.1 with 20k miles

 

[DXX]

From the quote below which you’ve already read I’d make a guess that they are going to try and avoid anything at their expense. You didn’t mention if the warranty is dealer provided or third party brokered through the dealer.
I’d agree that if the clutch is physically worn to the point where it’s no longer engages without slipping it would have been abused at just 20K. If the van is juddering as you mention I would think it’s the DMF.
Personally I’d want to be present when the gearbox is pulled off.

Liverpool VW van Center I got it from - not great to deal unless you force their hand and escalate all the time. Front desk staff are donkeys. Would never buy from them again.
Trafford Inchcape VW were better for troubleshooting and being my second opinion. End of the day, for me I was always advised to take it back to where I got it from if remedial works were required.

If you bought it privately, then go back to Liverpool and insist a technician goes out with you… make them feel the issue. Don’t be fobbed off with ‘they all do that’. If the DMF is fooked and they agree to fix it… be prepared to have to pay for the clutch plates as they’ll say they can’t cover that as it’s a consumable item.

Maybe I should come along too… and brighten up their day

 

[JonriceT6]

From the quote below which you’ve already read I’d make a guess that they are going to try and avoid anything at their expense. You didn’t mention if the warranty is dealer provided or third party brokered through the dealer.
I’d agree that if the clutch is physically worn to the point where it’s no longer engages without slipping it would have been abused at just 20K. If the van is juddering as you mention I would think it’s the DMF.
Personally I’d want to be present when the gearbox is pulled off.

Thanks for your reply, the warranty is via Volkswagen direct.
How would a clutch be abused? I’m not very mechanical sorry.
Would vw allow me to be present when gearbox is pulled ?

 

[moto]

Only slight judder in 1st, but looks like the same issue with 2021 t30 only 7k miles... How long should we expect the clutch to work? Thanks

 

[mrmortar]

Thanks for your reply, the warranty is via Volkswagen direct.
How would a clutch be abused? I’m not very mechanical sorry.
Would vw allow me to be present when gearbox is pulled ?

Have dropped you a DM

 

[mrmortar]

Only slight judder in 1st, but looks like the same issue with 2021 t30 only 7k miles... How long should we expect the clutch to work? Thanks

It really depends where the issue is, it might not be clutch related.
On mine it turned out to be an issue with the gearbox... or so the dealer reported after changing the clutch components twice!
Lets face it, clutches should last a long time if they are treated with respect.
Driving conditions and driver's input will have a bearing on their service life. 7k does seem very exceptional, so maybe there is some inherent issue there that needs investigation.
I noticed my judder from the day I picked it up (12k) but it may have been like that all along as it was previously a rental so the driver probably didn't care about it.

 

[Mick]

2 weeks ago I had my DMF replaced under the VW extended warranty and the gearbox was also covered if that was the issue!

 

[JonriceT6]

2 weeks ago I had my DMF replaced under the VW extended warranty and the gearbox was also covered if that was the issue!

After having the same symptoms ? Was your clutch replaced.?

 

[Mick]

After having the same symptoms ? Was your clutch replaced.?

No it was the DMF so they replaced that after noting the noise it made. I have a DSG.

 

[mrmortar]

When my original DMF was changed by Liverpool they warned me I may have to pay for new clutch plates… but after I pointed out the issues was there from
he start they wavered that cost.
If you’ve done 20k miles on it from new I partly get their view that you’d have to pay for the consumable clutch plates as it doesn’t make sense putting worn parts back in. After all the dealership doesn’t know how it’s been treated.

Did you buy the Van from Liverpool or private?

 

[JordsT6]

Hi all, apologies if this is in the wrong place, I’ve just posted in a separate discussion but later saw JonriceT6 post and thought it sounded very similar…

I’ve got a 2019 T6 102 Startline that was fully converted to camper shortly after I purchased the van in Jul 2022. Van has covered just under 30k miles and has recently developed pronounced juddering in 1st and reverse gears.

Fortunately I took “All in” cover from my local VW main dealer in Nov 2022 and have just had major service done under this plan last week.

Whilst the van was in for service, I mentioned the judder issue and was advised by a master tech that they are fairly confident this will be due to a dual mass flywheel issue.

Here’s the dilemma.. I’m told, in order for them to diagnose the issue they need to strip the gearbox down and whilst they are very confident it will be a mechanical fault and covered under the extended warranty, they need me to authorise £575+VAT for 5-6hrs of diagnosis costs in case VW don’t approve the works.

I’ve disputed this risk with the dealer, naturally I don’t agree with this approach of the costs falling squarely with me if it’s deemed non-warrantable, however to this point I seem to be at loggerheads with no other option.

In fairness to the dealer they have tried to reassure and have also said in the unlikely event it is non warrantable they will ask for VW goodwill contribution however the thought of a £700 ish bill is somewhat unpalatable.

Any general advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks,

Jordan

 

[mrmortar]

How long have you owned the van before you noticed the issue?

 

[JordsT6]

I can’t be 100% sure but it’s become more pronounced in the last few months. I’ve owned the van since Jul 2022 and have done c.8k miles since. Van had 21k on when I bought it.

 

[mrmortar]

You might be on dodgy ground then to debate the fees they are charging. In my case, the issue was there from the outset so I was able to argue why should I pay when it was like that already.
Unfortunately they do cover themselves but if the issue as they say then they’ll not charge you. Be prepared for them to charge for new clutch plates as normally they can recommend changing those also if the DMF is faulty. They class the clutch plates as consumable and are not under any warranty.
If you bought the van through another dealer then I’d try and go back to them first and say VW are proposing this fix… surely this isn’t acceptable on a van with this mileage etc…

 

[Bigsidavies]

That sounds ridiculous. If the symptoms are dmf then they should get the authorisation from VW to do the work then take the van in.
I had dmf symptoms under warranty and W Yorks VW agreed it was dmf, took until the next day to get authorisation, then they replaced it. Never had any mention of cost to me during the 3 or 4 things I had done under warranty.
I’d say go to a different VWVC.

 

[JordsT6]

Thanks both, I’ve decided to take the gamble and authorise the diagnosis. Master tech seemed confident it will be mechanical failure of DMF and I’m prepared to replace clutch at same time (subject to what they find). I’ll update this thread with outcome in the next few weeks as it appears lots of owners are experiencing the same / similar issues with DMF.

 

[JordsT6]

Hi all, quick update following my post above. Van went in for diagnosis and the DMF has been identified as faulty. DMF is now being done under warranty and I’ve decided to replace the clutch kit at the same time for £395 inc vat.

 

[Jupact583]

Hi Guys

I was surprised how quick these can deteriorate. My van is a 2017 T6 which I purchased with 48k on the clock. Done around 10k in 12 months and noticed the juddering when accelerating in a number of gears. I thought it was just the weight with it being fully converted picking up a little speed but my friend who owns a garage said she will get the gearbox, dmf and clutch looked at. Anyway all came out and the DMF was worn and the bearings on the gearbox looked burnt. I don’t want to cut any corners so he’s refurbishing the gearbox with a new dmf and clutch setting me back 1.7k.