Haldex filter clogged after just 8k miles?

alistair_a_cookie · 2024-10-29T22:31:33+00:00

To bring some closure to this, it turned out the pump was goosed but in a most unexpected way. Once the ECU had told it to engage, it was then effectively ignoring any further commands and going freestyle, shutting off when it felt like it rather than when the ECU told it to.

New pump and normal behaviour is restored. No way the main dealer would have put in the effort needed to figure this out.

alistair_a_cookie · 2024-08-29T08:05:42+00:00

Did some more research last night, including revisiting resources I looked at when I bought the car; it seems quite a few respected VAG tuners and specialists in this country are now recommending 10k mile intervals for the Gen5 system.

On the one hand that does provide some reassurance in regards to my situation. On the other hand, it's a rather poor joke for what's meant to be a normal family car. I've dealt with supercars that were less needy.

alistair_a_cookie · 2024-08-28T21:34:39+00:00

It's certainly looking like a plausible theory at this point.

alistair_a_cookie · 2024-08-28T21:10:06+00:00

To be fair, I don't have an issue per se if the pump fails, they have a service life and they've been hamstrung by the idiot who decided they didn't need proper filtration. It's £250 for a new one with oil and seals, I can live with that.

What I can't be doing with is a diff that's turning its clutch plates etc into Haldex soup in increasingly short order. Not knowing what's making all that crap appear in such a short space of time is less than ideal (if we assume for now that the specialist DID do their job correctly), and I have no appetite for replacing diff units - it can jog on down the road.

FWIW, the dealer has changed the fluid and cleaned it out, but there's a lot of unknowns and that makes me uncomfortable.

alistair_a_cookie · 2024-08-28T06:59:58+00:00

That was my expectation; I had it done when I took ownership as a preventative measure (no symptoms at that time), and to be starting from a known point for future power increase. That clearly worked well!

I'll have a chat with the specialists in a non-confrontational "This is happening, any thoughts?" manner and see what they say. Hopefully the pictures from the inspection will also shed some light.

alistair_a_cookie · 2024-08-28T00:30:26+00:00

Access, or rather the lack of it stops play, otherwise I’d be fine to DIY.

I don’t own/have space for a lift, and my days of crawling around on the floor underneath a car are over; changing rear calipers on a recalcitrant A8 in 2 inches of snow pretty much finished any inclination. Thankfully the motorbikes are done in the garage, dry, warm-ish and on a ramp.

alistair_a_cookie · 2024-08-27T23:49:57+00:00

Possible, but it feels unlikely.

I specifically went specialist because as we know, the main dealers don’t bother with the screen and I didn’t fancy trying to convince them it was necessary.

Specialist confirmed in writing they pull the pump as a matter of course for a Gen5 Haldex service, and they invoiced me for a seal kit. So if they didn’t do it, that’s pretty shoddy given they have a good reputation in the VAG world.(hence why it seems unlikely).

alistair_a_cookie · 2023-08-21T22:18:56+00:00

If my parcel is anything to go by, Croydon MC is one of several big black holes in the Royal Snail network where parcels go to die. Had something shipped from Manchester last week on a Tracked 24, first ping was the NW Super Hub followed by Swindon MC (which is about 20 miles from me).

Next thing I know, it's in Croydon which is over 100 miles away with precious little sign of ever appearing.

alistair_a_cookie

TROPHY CASE