[chittychittybangbang]

http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q_how_to/b5/b5howto.htm

This was the product of about 3 months of spare/not so spare time. Well over 1000 pictures were taken (most were not used due to focus, composition, etc.).

The list isn't complete but as the articles get done I'll fill in the links and add more. Some of the links are also not 100% done (no pics, parts links, etc).

I will add a sticky post at the top once the list is more filled in.

 

[Mrryan]

Awesome work! I think everyone can see the amount of effort that has gone into the site. The passat looks nice but the whole balance shaft thing seems like an unneeded hassle and potential problem.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

I just finished adding my notes on the balance shaft replacement. I believe that the tensioner was poorly designed and my personal opinion is that many B5.5 Passat TDI will see this problem to some degree if not a total failure. In other words, where a normal failure rate is 1 out of thousands, the average failure rate of the chain over time, during a normal expected lifetime for a TDI engine, will be 1 in xx, maybe even close to 1 in x with high mileage. If 1 out of every 9 cars has this failure that's more than enough to be considered a major failure rate. Since these cars are only 5 years old and considering the number of cases which have appeared as the cars gain mileage, I believe that when the cars are 15 years old this problem will have more validation.

I'd like to get an Audi a4 TDI quattro with the 3.0L engine...but if you look at the video posted here http://www.myturbodiesel.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1792 of the 3.0L TDI engine assembly, they use a heck of a lot of chains. Most chains will last the life of the car but lifetime is usually defined as 150,000-200,000 miles by engineers. Because most TDI owners expect over 200,000 miles of life (even if they sell the car to someone else) out of the car with regular maintenance, that means that most TDI chains may not last the life of the car.

The chain is at the back of the engine which means the engine must be removed to replace it. The 2.5L gas engines in the Golf/Jetta have a chain in the back but you can get away with removing the transmission. Oh well, at least it's an opportunity to change the various seals and gaskets.

 

[Bropot]

ouch...I've seen elsewhere that people are spending 3-4k on their cars...that has got to be very unwelcome when you think you're saving money by buying a Passat

 

[chittychittybangbang]

I've been adding many articles. Most of the articles come from my own experience with my Audi A4, the service manual, and general background knowledge. One article of note that didn't was the BHW engine Passat oil pump replacement article. The failed oil pump chain repair with gear driven oil pump for 2004 2005 VW Passat TDI was done, discovered, and first published by MOGolf and Oilhammer of tdiclub. I have done another writeup http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q_how_to/b5/balanceshaft%20_moduleReplace.htm that has different pictures, links to a timing belt article, specific torque specs on the various bolts, is written differently, and of course, credits the original discoverers of this procedure. The article explaining why this happens and other repair procedures is here http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q_how_to/b5/OilpumpFAQ.htm it sums up hundreds of pages of posts elsewhere into 1 page.

Hopefully VW will recognize that this is a problem, and while not everyone will get it, enough people have gotten it or reported a failure that it can be considered a design defect.