UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Casbantam,

I'm very disappoinrted to hear that they've not fixed the problem. As far as your warranty situation's concerned, I think you've a good case for insisting that they find and fix the problem once-and-for-all and that you incur no costs yourself. Quite clearly, at present the vehicle is all but unusable. Wriggling out of the warranty by them telling you that you'll now have to pay the costs because it's run out, and yet they weren't competent enough to fix the clutch issue in the first place, is just morally unacceptable, in my view.

A 'dual shaft'? That's where exactly?

When VW Main Office calls you, tell them that the dealer's technicians were unable to cure the problem, despite them apparently putting in new clutch components. Insist that, as it stands, the car is undriveable. No VW car of that age and calibre should have such a dreadfully-performing clutch and/or gearbox.

BTW, after you explained earlier that the technicians had sent you a video showing damaged fingers of the clutch coverplate, I double-checked the general appearance of Sachs coverplates, as shown in the 2009 - 2014 edition of the Haynes workshop manual for the Polo. The manual shows a fairly typical coverplate and you can see that the fingers are contoured to some extent. That's to say, they're not totally flat, and they're not meant to be. Instead, near the centre, the fingers form a raised, flat zone against which the release bearing presses. I've been wondering if the technicians misconstrued that as being distortion of the fingers. If in reality there was nothing wrong with the fingers and they merely replaced the coverplate with a new one, it wouldn't have put anything right. Usually, it's only if a finger has broken off or is singularly sitting proud of all the others that you'd expect some difficulty in changing gear.

The fact that they've apparently totally failed in this endeavour might suggest that they've not bothered to look elsewhere for the cause(s). Air trapped in the clutch hydraulic line, for instance? If there was, as a consequence of trapped air, insufficient throw of the clutch slave cylinder's plunger, the pressure exerted by the release bearing would be insufficient to disengage the flywheel from the clutch main shaft. That'd then certainly mean great difficulty in changing gear. Also, have they checked the adjustments of the gear-changing cable mechanism, especially now having installed new clutch components? You can see that mechanism on top of the bell housing, just forward of the slave cylinder. Without that carefully adjusted, you could fail to get into gear properly.

I'm intrigued by their reference to a 'dual-shaft'. Perhaps the problem lies deep in the gearbox itself, rather than in the clutch? My Polo is essentially the same as yours, ie. a TSI 1.2 Match Edition, and In terms of coding the 5-spd box on mine is a PED. To check what yours is, look at the label just inside the front cover of the VW Service Schedule booklet. I'm looking to see whether their contention that "it's just how they are" holds any water, because I certainly don't have gear-changing issues on mine! If your's is a PED-coded gearbox like mine, then quite clearly they are wrong in maintaining that all of them are bad when moving from one gear to another.

Hi veteran.

Thank you for your detailed reply. Just checked inside the service book and the gearbox type is PED.
Getting into reverse is by far the worst. 1st gear is often stiff and occasionally will not select. All other gears are ok but sometimes 3rd to 4th will be stiff but few and far between.
I hope VW can be helpful in getting it sorted.
Just also remember the tech saying as the car was only at 11k miles the gearbox was still bedding in. More fobbing off I guess.

Sorry to be a bore but the saga continues.

Car was booked in 3 weeks ago for tomorrow at 8am. On way home at 6pm today had a call from the dealership to check that I was still on for tomorrow. Yes of course was my reply my car has still not been fixed and I am still having issues.
He said that he notices that the manufacturer warranty has expired now and I have a dealership extended warranty. He said that I would need to pay a diagnostic fee of £78 before it would be looked at as per the T&C.
I said they had not fixed my car after multiple attempts over the last 6 months and so I would bring my car but would not pay the fee. They disagreed and so they have told me not to bring the car in at 8 and they will speak to the service manager when he is available.
I am massively frustrated and have been in contact with VW CC who have spoken to the garage on my behalf over the last couple of months. I was told by them that they had spoken with the service manager and I was to call him to arrange a test drive with him personally. Well he wouldn't take my call and I was told to book it in with the service dept.
What a helpful lot they have been They have done various things including adjusting the gear linkages and fitting a new clutch but my problem still persists albeit I must admit it does seem less problematic after the clutch replacement. But to be told that this is how they are and to select other gears before the gears that I want is just ridiculous (doesn't work anyway)
Thanks if you had the patience to read that still angry 4 hours after. I have owned many makes and models of car and have never had this issue with reverse gear. Of course sometimes in all cars it doesn't always go straight in but this is far and wide in my experience not multiple times everyday!!!
All suggestions are welcome but no violence please

My 2016 1.2 Tsi often struggles to go into reverse, but I find that if I lift the clutch pedal with the gear lever at the point it got stuck, then the gear finds its way into mesh without any grinding noises (and the gear lever moves that last 5mm on its own).

Thanks for the reply d-ash. Surely that is not how it should be though? Did you ever take it back?

No, never took it back. It doesn't affect my ability to reverse the car or spoil my enjoyment of ownership.

I tried your way this morning and got an almighty crunch so wont try that again.
Went for a test drive with a technician and after a few manoeuvres hey presto it wouldn't go in reverse then again shortly afterwards.
He said he will speak with VW and see if there is any known faults with this issue and he was also going to try drive some similar cars. I will wait and see what happens!

Classic symptoms of dragging clutch.

Clutch was replaced 4 weeks ago. Surely couldn't be that?

Cars going in for around a week. VW have got a series of tests to conduct. Will report back with findings.

To update,

Car been in a week, got call today to say I need a repair kit for the gearbox. There is a bit of a delay as the extended warranty company are asking for a goodwill gesture from VW UK to help pay for the repair.
Poor do really but all being well if I get the car back next week with no gear change problems I will be happy.
Thanks to who mentioned the repair kit, can't remember where I read it but on here somewhere I think?

Good to see the extended warranty provider is looking after their pockets before your car, what more could we expect, well maybe for them to authorise the repair by a VW dealer and work away in the back ground trying to recover some of their spend, while the car is being repaired, low quality warranty provider, name and shame after this work has been completed and that might help people avoid them, they know what they are expected to do.

Agree, bet they wish they had fixed it whilst under manufacturer warranty rather than 5th time of asking. Won't speak too soon though until I have driven it. Cheers

Just wondered if any of you guys know what the repair kit for the gearbox entails?
Warranty company authorised repairs eventually after nearly 2 weeks!! Hopefully get it back this week. Cheers

Some shim packs, I thought, or a selection of one piece shims?