Vibration under acceleration at 2k rpm

[ThePearl]

Hi, Transporter 102 5spd manual 2015 on 20” alloys with 40mm lowered springs. Vibration comes up through the floor of the cabin and can be felt on steering wheel and pedals at roughly 2000rpm mostly in upper gears 3-5. Ok, this defect has probably been evident since I bought the van late last year but it’s only now really noticeable on longer runs when fully warmed up. The cold weather and shorter journeys in winter have made it harder to notice.

I’ve seen a good few threads which point to a wide variety of suspects however most of these can be ruled out. It’s probably not DMF/gearbox/tyres/airmass sensor/suspension bushes/springs as these have been checked, serviced or replaced.

There is a fault that has come to my attention regarding the drive shafts that affects some models including the 102. If lowered by over 40mm this can lead to vibrations and other issues due to compression and angles. There is a company out there that sells shortened drive shafts for uber lowered vans but before I go down that route I wondered if anyone had any experience of this and any advice please.

 

[kjh00]

Hello, did you ever solve this issue?

 

[ThePearl]

Hello, did you ever solve this issue?

Hi, no unfortunately, the collective knowledge on here and at my local independent VW specialist came up a complete blank. It’s easy to avoid experiencing it by not accelerating excessively hard in the upper gears but, it sometimes judders in the lower gears when slipping the clutch. TBH it’s not really bothering me much as I know it’s not a terminal death rattle and it would be a costly venture to find a cure. I will get around to changing worn out or suspect parts as I go along with the hope that a new DMFW/clutch/drive shafts/tyres and wheels will be the answer.

 

[Bigsidavies]

Has it been remapped? It sounds like there’s maybe too much torque for the clamping force of the clutch.

 

[ThePearl]

It’s not remapped but I suspect the clutch is getting worn out now, don’t know how long the clutch is expected to last but I’ve only just reached 95k miles.

 

[DaveD]

It’s not remapped but I suspect the clutch is getting worn out now, don’t know how long the clutch is expected to last but I’ve only just reached 95k miles.

Years ago you could expect a clutch on most vehicles to pass 100K miles but lots of forum members have commented on here about having to replace T6 clutches at a great deal less than 95K.

 

[The Bear78]

Years ago I had a 2.0 Tdi Passat that would do this. It wouldn't happen if driven normally but if I floored it in 3rd or 4th gear from below 2000 rpm it would shudder at around that rpm, if I remember correctly.
That car had a lot of issues that culminated in engine replacement due to burnt out piston rings. After replacement, the shudder did dissappear which is far from conclusive I admit. However, the engine mounts were noted to be quite worn and were also replaced along with the engine. Now, I can easily imagine an engine grumbling at low revs building up a bit of resonance if allowed to move around a lot in the mounts.
Perhaps this is something to consider on the transporter...

 

[ThePearl]

Thanks all, I’m probably going to have a new clutch and DMF in the near future, can’t remember ever having to replace a clutch before on any vehicle I’ve owned in the past, had hoped a VW van would be a bit more robust but hey ho.

 

[ThePearl]

Hi all, we have a result, I have now had the DMF/clutch replacement carried out including both drive shafts and a full service inc timing belt/water pump. Big shopping list and a big bill but it was worth doing as a oner. The DMF was shot and was the cause of the vibrations by all accounts. Van now drives as good as gold, big thanks to Kings Lynn VW Specialists who did the work expertly.