Camden GTI are GREAT!!!!!

[tron]

GREAT service from the crew at Camden GTI today,
Lola the T5 Tranny stopped, I was coming home to Canberra from Thirroul and thought the gearbox was sounding a bit noisy, then at Wilton she stopped, crunch and no gears at all...
walked the two kids back to town to get a drink and better reception and got their number, yes we can look at your car, here is a tow company number, three return calls to get different phone numbers for the tow company, and then an hour waiting in the office with the kids for my mate to get there from Canberra to collect me, the kids, and all my work and camping gear from the van.....
So helpful.
pity that I now need a new 6m gearbox, ouch,can just hope that the clutch is OK.
love hate relationship with lola is gettting to be a hate spend relationship lately......

[Transporter]

Hi mate, what a bad luck. How many km in total have your T5 4motion done?

[tron]

Hey Miro,
Has done 190k km, and is well loaded most of the time, on the weighbridge recently she was 2740kg without the roof racks and ladders and a few other bits. so i suppose that is OK? Also she's an ex ambo so was well used for the first three years. its an earlier model with AXE engine and has had all the other usual repairs, water pump (you helped me diagnose that 12 months ago over the phone), ac coupling, manifold, so we hope that will be it, and also hoping the clutch is all good, will know this afternoon all going well. I dont really want to move her on as I just put king springs (30mm lift) and struts and shocks ( bilstein) in last month planning to make her last another 18 months.. we will have to see what the leader of the opposition says after the final bill!
Here's hoping that your 6m keeps on going,

Cheers Martin

[Transporter]

Hmm, not many report here with the failed gearboxes. If the clutch is in doubt or is worn out a bit I would still suggest that you replace at least the pressure plate, while the gearbox is of.

Hopefully, it will be good after that.

[aprr32]

Could be the rh driveshaft flange splines have stripped.Done quite a few so far.

[Sunny43.5]

DMF failure maybe ?

[tron]

Confirmed Gearbox failure yesterday, main bearing (i think) had collapsed, lots of gearbox oil "fell" out when box failed then when thde guys got it on the hoist you can see the remains of a large bearing, not much cage left and large ball bearings falling out, at least my kids had some "silver marbles" to play with!!!!
So not a driveshaft fail, and box not out yet to confirm state of clutch / DMF, and as far as I knew they pressure plate is "matched" to the flywheel?? I remember reading something about having to replace DMF flywheel with the pressure plate??
Work in progress, hopefully done by Friday!

[Sunny43.5]

I would consider replacing the DMF with a solid one cost is a lot cheaper apparently , I wish I had known my van had a DMF when I replaced the clutch kit last year as I can hear it every time I down shift at low speed and reverse well that's an art form these days useless piece of technology IMO . I will add Camden are good as I bought some extra seats from them last year and they were excellent .

[tron]

OK so more news,
both DMF and clutch have had complete failure, along with throwout bearing?
basically everything that transmits drive from engine to the 4 wheels failed at the same time!!!!
more $$ but the fantastic guys at Camden GTI should have Lola on the road again tomorrow, which is great because the annual fishing trip is on Monday and last year i swagged it because the water pump failed the day before!!
replaced the DMF, didnt go down the solid flywheel route as by the time I got back to the guys at Camden GTI about the flywheel failure they had couriered a DMF replacement kit over knowing my desire to have the car on the road, so overall V happy that she should be ready for me ASAP!!
Maybe the 4 trips down Bulli pass in the previous 4 days pushed her over the edge??
OH well its only $$, however the minister of finance is thinking that Lola may need to be moved on...................

[Sunny43.5]

Good news glad to hear its fixed yes my throw out bearing was the main reason I ended up doing the clutch it was screaming its lungs out when pushing the pedal in to change gears [mind you the clutch plate was almost at rivets anyway] , like I said the DMF seems to have been fitted to all models and I don't believe they are necessary in petrol engines as the whole principal was to help remove the throb of the diesel engine through the drive train . You were lucky from some reports if the DMF lets go big time it can shatter the whole gearbox housing $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ .

[Richierich]

i think these cars are great but so complex that they become a bit scary as they get on a bit.

What was the damage bill in the end?

[tron]

Final bill was $8k, including the tow!!
all worked fine but had an incident with a tilt tray last week!!!!! I hope these things dont really come in threes!
anyway Lola is now gooonnneeeee, unrepairable, so there should be a good clutch box and flywheel attached to a van at pickles next week.
I really love spending $8k to drive around for a couple of weeks.......

[Richierich]

Bad luck mate. Did it have 3 seats in the front? was it written off in canberra?>

[Sunny43.5]

You hit a tilt tray ? hmm sounds like my accident some years back .Wrote of my beloved T4 in that one , funny how the van will not drive with the front wheel under the drivers door and the front guard and door skin with headlight all compressed into a small tangle of metal ,. it was a car carrying trailer one of those mongrel things with the back end looking like a tapered knife blade just waiting to slice open an unsuspecting driver .