T5...and then it went bang...looks like another costly careless mistake

[aSimpleLife]

Thanks for the suspension info - once I've recovered from this latest repair cost I might look into that.

Yes I have always been very impressed with your project. Sadly I am not up to that task myself. Yours is what I kept in mind when I got Drifta in Gloucester to fit out my van. I don't think Drifta's finish is close to your high standard but it's not their core business and I did sort of lure them into doing the trims. It does what I want for a work van though and I am happy enough. My trims were all replaced with marine ply covered with marine carpet. I asked them to insulate for temperature as I quite often sleep in the back. As you say it has been great for reducing the road noise.

You refer to what you used as "sound proofing" so I assume it's not there to provide insulation. I never specified what insulation I wanted, just left it to them. However I recently noticed they have just used what I think is standard housing fibreglass batt insulation. I have since read somewhere this type of insulation can collect moisture and lead to your van rusting from the inside out. Would you have an opinion on this? (sorry about dragging this even further off topic)

[Sunny43.5]

I am, not a fan of fiberglass insulation as you have to pack too much in to make a difference , the stuff I use is very compacted wool blend . Its only around 10mm thick but because we glue it directly to the outer skin from inside it works very well to stop road noise and metal drumming . Naturally it also helps keep out the cold as it shields the inside area by reducing the transmission of the low temperature through the metal , no problem with moisture as the Vdubs are galvanised anyway and painted as well . I still have our original T5 now 10 years old and not a single sign of rust anywhere . Now back to the splines I am not sure of how the diffs work in the T5 but obviously the drivers side seems to get the most work , that could be the answer . Not sure what bolt you bloke had trouble with but if he is referring to the allen key one inside the spline seems strange he had problems as I found mine easy to remove .

[aSimpleLife]

Thanks very much yet again. I'll try to peg him down on exactly which bolt that was.

[aSimpleLife]

Now back to the splines...Not sure what bolt you bloke had trouble with but if he is referring to the allen key one inside the spline seems strange he had problems as I found mine easy to remove .

In relation to my comment;
"Note 2 - mechanic also advised he had significant trouble removing one shaft bolt that was rounding off hex (left side?)"

I was back for a service this week and asked the mechanic and yes, it was that allen/hex key type one from inside the spline, but just on the one side, which I still think was the left. Said at the time he had to rig up his own tool to get it out.

[Sunny43.5]

Yes that is a strange one mine came undone with an allen key on a socket set . It was very easy to remove but maybe at the factory they did not apply much grease and it was a bit rusty on the thread .

[aSimpleLife]

...or...and I hate to say this...maybe my mechanic is taking me for a bit of a ride?
He's also got me terrified of future repair costs...to the point I'm back considering a shift to a Hiace (I do remember your nooooo!!! or a Commodore Wagon...as I had hoped to keep this vehicle into my pending retirement...but retired people simply can't afford 3k here and 6k there
I mean there's nothing for him in my changing vehicle...he's getting the repair work anyway...and more of it than he should if his theories are correct. Maybe he's just a modern euro vehicle bigot?
I am currently going over all these T5 threads and trying to understand what the repair bills might be into the future...and what I might be able to do the prevent/reduce them. It is a real issue for me. Sorry about coming across as a whinger and whiner.

[Seano]

Your mechanic is being a bit old school...mine is the same. Guessing future repair bills is simply an opportunity to get a consulting psychiatrist rather than giving you any comfort...

Ultimately, barring accidents and incidents, what has gone wrong with your van has already gone wrong. Everything from here on in is mostly routine maintenance. Which will never be cheap.

My 14 yr old T4 costs me a grand or so each year...yet it still has its original discs and original clutch. The things that break (air con, ignition) have broken...the rest is just wear and tear.

My intention is to drive mine until it dies...and then resuscitate simply because its not worth anything anyway and it'll still be cheaper than anything equivalent new.

[aSimpleLife]

Thanks very much for the feedback. Sounds like you're doing exactly as I want to do. Yes...I do realise that I am focusing entirely on the negatives atm...not also factoring in the positives like great drive, great fuel economy, it's already fitted out with everything I need, not having to go looking at alternatives, not having to sell the T5, not ending up with the same problems with a different vehicle...but if I am going to make the change, then I can still afford to now, but probably can't in 5 years, if I then start having a series of very expensive problems, that could cost me 10k plus, that I could have put towards something not diesel that is less inclined to have expensive repairs.
I am unhappy with myself that I didn't more thoroughly research the T5 before I bought it 4-5 years ago - because it was a much too important decision to impulse buy on - but I did - had lots of other things going on back then - and it was everything I wanted - and I assumed that German commercial designed and built meant it would be rock solid reliable for the long term - not so high tech and potentially not made to last for the long term. If I had done that research properly I might have chosen differently. I am now spending some time each evening going through here and the UK site to get a better feel for the possible future with my T5 (as you say - hopefully I won't drive myself crazy - I might even start up a specific thread on it if I think there is anything of value to share - from where I am coming from.
With your T4, aren't they a far more reliable vehicle than the T5? In their time? But now I suppose they are all getting a bit long in the tooth, no matter how well they've been looked after.

[Sunny43.5]

I loved my T4 I bought it back in 2000 only had 20.000 km on the clock , it was a great van had no problems until I got into an argument with the back end of a car transporter . Funny that I tried to back off the back of the transporter with one wheel firmly jammed under the drivers door DOH , tore the axle clean off the gearbox housing along with the front guard and half the front door . So new T5 and it's been pretty damn good now 260.000km and going strong has its regular services and timing belt water pump done so its all good . It seems that VW have woken up to some issues with their designs and technology so the problems seen in the early T5 autos for instance have been addressed in the upgrade model .

[aSimpleLife]

Your mechanic is being a bit old school...

Most definitely But I think (hope) he has my best interests at heart.

Ultimately, barring accidents and incidents, what has gone wrong with your van has already gone wrong. Everything from here on in is mostly routine maintenance. Which will never be cheap. My 14 yr old T4 costs me a grand or so each year...

And I guess this is what I want to try and make an estimate of now. Over the next 10 to 20 years, as I move into retirement, what's that likely to cost me with this T5, compared to say a Hiace (yes I know) or a Commodore wagon (if I can squeeze into it) or whatever else might be a better option...if one exists. And I am happy if one doesn't. I want to keep it. But will I be able to afford to? I have now heard/read too many things about euro vehicles now being built for 100,000km, the price of VW parts and T5 reliability, for me not to do this now, as a result of my "impulse" purchase 4-5 years back.

[aSimpleLife]

tore the axle clean off the gearbox housing along with the front guard and half the front door

Sounds a bit like me trying to go up my steep driveway with the handbrake on

the problems seen in the early T5 autos

I've got a manual, so I am not yet sure whether that's an advantage or not. Was talking to my mechanic about Commodore wagons and his advice was if I want to keep my ongoing costs down I need to go with the auto over the manual. That has certainly changed over the last 30 years in my memory. And he reckons it's not because the volume differential is 10 to 1...although that must be part of creating more reliable technology?

[Sunny43.5]

Was this mechanic talking about the Commodore auto or a VW auto ? I do not subscribe to the theory that "modern "auto's are better than manuals as VW ones are full of electronic components . The early T5 had the auto sold as "sealed for life" so VW would never service it , it was as I found out a recipe for disaster . As I stated earlier VW IMO learnt from that little caper and changed the whole auto box to allow for servicing and filter change as its external . Manuals are just so much stronger with no electronics to make life hard . If there is any glitch in VW manuals its not the box its the DMF 'dual mass flywheel ' unlike a conventional flywheel which is a single piece of steel the DMF is made up of several parts and the drive is transmitted via two heavy duty springs around the perimeter of the flywheel . If you load up the van and try to reverse uphill you can guarantee the DMF has been then given the kiss of death from that moment on . Regardless of the issues that have been raised about Euro cars etc there is not necessarily any other brand that is without its problems . I still love our vans it's just that I hate the fact that manufacturers are continually building new designs and technology and there is no cheap way to repair them if they break down . There is a joke doing the rounds these days / question what is the most popular accessory for VW's answer Extended Warranty .

[aSimpleLife]

No...he was talking about the commodore autos.
Sounds like I am less worse off with the manual. Thanks for the heads up about the flywheel risk.
I'll have to tell my customer that joke - when I first bought it - and he had a passat - he implored me to take out the biggest transferable extended warranty I could get my hands on - I of course laughed at that...back then...not now.
Yes I love my van too...and I want to believe that the worst of my big expenses are behind me for a while now...it's just that I don't feel comfortable about that yet. I am not trying to bag T5's. Just as someone without a lot of mechanical nouse, I feel I've got to understand it better, to know if I can afford it in another 5 years +

[Seano]

My T4 has the DMF...still the same one after 235,000 km.

I bought mine new on impulse over the phone from 900 km away without actually driving it...or even any T4. Or any other water cooled VW. And I was 700 km from the nearest VW dealer.

Don't let your imagination run away with reality!

[Sunny43.5]

My T5 has 265000 kays and the DMF has been shagged for nearly 8 years , I have learnt not to try and place the van in a place where I have to reverse out up any slope . When I changed the clutch at 180000 I had no idea that it was DMF if I had known the symptoms were from the flywheel I would have fitted solid one . Lets face it the solid one has been around for nearly 100 years it never wears out ! and cannot disintegrate if it fails . The only real advantage is for diesel engines as it smooth's out the throb of the engine . Petrol engines DO NOT need the DMF especially if its a small capacity engine . Thats probably why the T4 with 2.5 engine will be fine but the 2.0 petrol in the T5 is way underpowered {but still reliable }