Dealer service/ T5 engine oil cooler replacement campaign.

[Tornado T5]

Had mine replaced today, it's a half day job. Organised a loaner, just forgot to ensure it had wing doors...makes for tricky forklift ops... My van is a June 2007 build. Gotta say a Transporter without factory wooden floor and h/duty rubber mat is quite loud, or it was in this Feb '08 T5 LWB auto courtesy van.

ps. I asked what would happen if a leak had occurred and the service staff said they would replace the cooler and need me back in 3 days to flush out the sytem again so you wouldn't need to off the road for 3 continuous days....I guess this would be true only if all went to plan post repair.

[gregozedobe]

As I've mentioned before it took 5 visits (and 1,000Km of hard driven highway Kms ) to get all the oil out of the coolant on mine after the oil cooler failed.

And today I got told I need to replace the oil cooler in mine - there was deafening silence on the other end of the phone when I informed the helpful chappie that his dealership had already replaced one in February this year after the first one failed I think I need to double check that the new one they fitted was the improved version.

At least VWA is now coming to the party to replace these faulty oil coolers BEFORE they fail (as opposed to pretending there wasn't a problem, which is what they were doing previously).

[Tornado T5]

As I've mentioned before it took 5 visits (and 1,000Km of hard driven highway Kms ) to get all the oil out of the coolant on mine after the oil cooler failed.

And today I got told I need to replace the oil cooler in mine - there was deafening silence on the other end of the phone when I informed the helpful chappie that his dealership had already replaced one in February this year after the first one failed I think I need to double check that the new one they fitted was the improved version.

At least VWA is now coming to the party to replace these faulty oil coolers BEFORE they fail (as opposed to pretending there wasn't a problem, which is what they were doing previously).

I can completely understand your frustration. In my case it was the dealer that notified me as I had never heard of the issue anywhere and only learnt more when searching on this forum. I guess it's simply economics, pre-empt a problem and replace before hand or suffer much larger warranty claims later. A safe bet would be the assumption now that the part is failing more regularly within three years of use meaning it is costing more to NOT do anything until the part fails compared to the cost of a recall. Am I being too cynical?

[gregozedobe]

Am I being too cynical?

I'm not sure that is possible

I took my van in today to have the sliding door mechanism fixed under warranty, and was told I MUST have my oil cooler replaced under the campaign, even though the new, improved part was fitted back in Feb when the first one failed.

So they are removing a perfectly good oil cooler, and replacing it with one that is exactly the same ! This costs money, time and introduces the risk of something going wrong while they are doing it. If I didn't let them do it my warranty will be voided.

UTTER MADNESS!!

If my van wasn't so nice to drive it would be sold off by now.

[BobD]

What oil cooler are you guys talking about? Does it apply to manual and auto?

[gregozedobe]

It is the engine oil cooler. It transfers heat from the engine oil to the engine coolant. AFAIK it is the same for all 5 cyl motors, manual or autos.

There was a faulty batch of oil coolers fitted to 2006/7 build T5s, and if they leak they allow oil to get into the coolant. There was a "campaign" (a.k.a. recall, but VW dislike that word) in the UK earlier this year, but VWA took a lot longer to decide it should be done.

[4wheels]

That's more like it, what is the year and month of manufacture of yours, and maybe it even matters what factory it was made in.

Mine is 5th month of 2006 made at Wolfsburg.

Brian J

The Oil cooler change was made by Burwin's with no dramas yesterday. I think mine was a Jan 07 build, but I can't check for sure, because now it's a the panel beaters getting a couple of scrapes in the sills taken out, as a result of my Cape Yorke trip.

Brian R

[tapsy]

Oil Cooler

dropped my 06 T5 Kombi Beach in for its first service today and was told the oil cooler had to be replaced (2 days, a 6 hour job), I had asked before about it as i had seen it on this Forum nearly 12 months ago, but was told then that they were not replacing them? well they are now !

[gregozedobe]

Trust me, it is MUCH better to replace it before it lets go

[Baytown]

Thanks for the info re this thread fellas.
I'll ask Townsville VW if my 07 Van needs doing.
If it's not one thing, it's another. My SS VY Ute need s a fair bit of stuff done and the warranty has just expired.
Bugger!

Ken

[Tornado T5]

dropped my 06 T5 Kombi Beach in for its first service today and was told the oil cooler had to be replaced (2 days, a 6 hour job), I had asked before about it as i had seen it on this Forum nearly 12 months ago, but was told then that they were not replacing them? well they are now !

Not sure why it would take two days, when mine was done they had the part pre-ordered and would have called me if not ready, dropped off my van at 7.45am and returned with loan van by 5.00pm same day, it was actually ready earlier however I was 50km away when I got the phone call.