DRIVE SHAFT GAITER

[arletty69]

Just had the 'Controle Technique' carried out here in France.  This is the equivalent of the MOT and is required on the car's 4th aniversary and then every 2 years.  The car passed without problem but one of the observations was "faulty gaiter left side/outside"  I took the wheel off today and sure enough the outboard gaiter on the drivers side (left in French France) has ruptured and grease is oozing out!  Seems to be a bit premature at only 48 000 Km.  Anyone else had problems with the gaiters?  Looks like the repair will be at least 150 Euro!

[adam55gti]

You mean the CV boot ?

$150 is crazy price , in England i can do a cheap replacement myself for less than £50.

You just need a new boot , and some cv grease , its not hard to fit.

[arletty69]

Yes I do mean the CV boot. Would you use the genuine VW boot (which requires disconnecting the hub and removing the CV joint from the shaft) or one of these 'rapid' kits I have seen on ebay?  One kit is a split boot that you glue together (sounds a crap solution).  Another provides a special cone to stretch the boot over the CV joint which avoids removal of the CV joint.  Obviously the genuine VW boot is the only sensible way to go.  Anyone got a link to a 'how to' with photos?

[Egbutt Wash]

You Know what, I'd just pay it.
So would lots of other GTI owners, we drive fast and want the car to be spot on.

[Snoopy]

The new plastic type boots are rubbish and split regular i had to do one on our mk5. I got the boot through a VW parts friend of mine for ~£12 iirc (came with everything needed in the box) and did the job myself but then i know what im doing. Its not the hardest job in thewold just messy and the new boot is a bloody tight fit.
Try a search online for CV boot removal or something like that there all basically the same to do. Unless you have no DIY skills at all and don't know one end of a spanner from the other then maybe worth going to see an independent garage is it will probably be cheaper.

[TomB]

Same boot went on me at 4 years, 2 months and 57k miles.

I got my local VW dealer to do it (its the only thing they've actually paid for under VW used warranty cover) and they still managed to cock it up.

I saw grease running down my wheel a few weeks later and drove it back, they told me it was fine.  A month later at the MOT, they noticed the idiots hadn't crimped the clip on the large end!

Now my car never goes to VW and I get a good VW specialist to do my work.

Good luck!

[FamilyDub]

worth going to see an independent garage

Yes!

Best thing you'll ever do is make friends with an Indy. Better service quality, better price and might even let you poke about some nice motors 'while-U-wait'...... mine does anyway!