T5 gearboxes to suit 1.9 TDi..

[Dubswin]

Aw, don't tell me that Howard, my brother's got one of those!

[Sunny43.5]

Lets be realistic I am not saying that all of them are a problem it seems that some of them are fine and others are playing up , as I have said before there is no way a manufactuer can predict how long the auto fluid will last . My experience from owning other brand cars with automatics is that regular servicing with new fluids are essential but VW have a different slant on this they seal the transmissions at the factory and claim that they don,t service them . Every single driver drives different to each other so a component like the tranny should be able to stand up to a multitude of situations ,and then there is the enviroment that we drive in . I bet the Germans didn,t bring these vans to Australia to test in the real world that we have to endure . Its fine in Europe where the majority of the time its cool enough not to cause degredation of the fluid but with our extreme summers etc I am sure it has a bearing on the fluids ability to cope . Howard

[Dubswin]

Yep, fair comment re our climatic extremes, I bet they don't get that. But then of course, there is the Dakaar...
Anyways, my new ZF gearbox arrived from VW today, all nicely boxed up. Just waiting for the clutch to show up now.
Just by the by, my mechanic tells me that a number of auto transmissions, previously classified as "sealed for life" are now starting to be classified as "serviceable", albeit with prices well into the upper teens $.
I suppose that is progress of sorts.

[DOUBLECAB]

Question Guys..................if one is looking at buying a T5................ how does one know if it has the 'crappy box' or the 'good one' ?

[Dubswin]

Good question...if it's built in 05 and hasn't had a new box yet, it's the crappy one. VW Aust should be able to tell you when the ZF box equipped vans started coming through. As would the codes, but I don't know what they are. My guess would be some time in 06. Cheers, Dubswin

[DOUBLECAB]

Ok.........so would this crappy box issue be relevant to a 2005 dual cab with a 128kw engine and a 6 speed box?

[Cousin]

doublecab, assume all the autos will give it up somewhere around 150,000 ks
Then look at the price of the van you may buy, add say $7,000 for a rebuild (I have heard they can be done for around $5,500 now) and see how the price looks then
If it's too high, haggle it down so including a rebuild in works ok price wise
I did that when I bought my 06 second hand
They guy was bleeding, but sold
6 months later, at around 150,000 ks the box sh*t itself
Now 'supposedly' the rebuilds will last longer, better valving etc (American instead of German, go figure!) so I'm hoping to get another 200,000 ks off this one


M