Flywheel gone boom!!!

[mark.w]

Just thought I would let you know about a problem I've had, as I have seen the initial symptoms mentioned on these forums before.

My july 07 GTI with 72k miles on the clock has just killed it's flywheel. The effect was a very juddery idle with massive feedback coming through the pedal box and the car sounding like a tractor.

I mention it on the forum as I have previously had, on about 4 occasions, problems with the car sounding like a tractor when I started it. If I then turned the car off and restarted it, everything was fine.

Iirc in the posts it was just thought to be an intermittent problem and something to do with the crankcase needing to be pressurised in the TSI engine.

I could be wrong and the two events may not be related in any way, it just occurs to me that the judder and the noise made by the car were the same in both cases.

My engine isn't modded in any way, so it should be okay. But I thought I would put this up as a warning if anyone is getting problems with the car on starting, it might be worth getting the garage to give it a looking over.

is yours a manual? had something similar diagnosed on my motor, although another dealer has told me its impossible as the DSG  does not use a flywheel. Help!

[pany]

Hi Mark W,

Mine is the manual, yes. I hope to god it isn't the same problem for you. I was lucky and the garage replaced most of the engine under warranty...

[monzablue16v]

Awesome I love the troubleshooting in dealers now, new engines given out like oil changes, and can't plug a laptop into my socket set so I'm unsure. What happened to actual mechanics and knowledge?

[pany]

Awesome I love the troubleshooting in dealers now, new engines given out like oil changes, and can't plug a laptop into my socket set so I'm unsure. What happened to actual mechanics and knowledge?

That isn't accurate at all to be fair. They stripped the engine down and discovered that all of what was replaced was trashed, as I mentioned earlier in the post if you had read through it all.

[monzablue16v]

Awesome I love the troubleshooting in dealers now, new engines given out like oil changes, and can't plug a laptop into my socket set so I'm unsure. What happened to actual mechanics and knowledge?

That isn't accurate at all to be fair. They stripped the engine down and discovered that all of what was replaced was trashed, as I mentioned earlier in the post if you had read through it all.

I have read it all, it's just my take on modern car dealerships, not just your case

[mark.w]

either way, one of em is wrong, and its very easy to believe the dealer that told me the 'noisy flywheel' was actually a noisy fuel pump.

The £1000 i save getting the fuel pump replaced won't be much consolation when the flywheel bursts and leaves me in a similar predicament to Pany but without warranty!

[rskardon]

Hi Pany,

When you day you were feeling a lot of feedback through the pedals was it fairly extreme? At about 80mph/3k revs i can feel a small vibration through the whole car and if i put some very light pressure on the clutch it feels quite 'lumpy', i know what you're thinking, could be the wheels but i had them all rebalanced and should be fine.

Having never put a little pressure on the clutch whilst moving, it may be completely normal to feel a little lumpy, so not really sure. As for sounding like a tractor i have always though the GTi sounds a bit rough and mine doesnt seem to have changed,

Did yours feel lumpy when actually driving too? and how long was it from noticing the symptoms until it went Bang?

Thanks,

Ri

[PaddyWagon]

Hi guys excuse my forum skills but only new to this. I have my Gti for about a month now and i've noticed as it ticks over it tends to give a faint shudder every 5-10 secs. Just wondering is this the same problem you experienced when your flywheel went boom or has anyone any suggections. Any would greatly be appreciated

[pany]

Hi Pany,

When you day you were feeling a lot of feedback through the pedals was it fairly extreme? At about 80mph/3k revs i can feel a small vibration through the whole car and if i put some very light pressure on the clutch it feels quite 'lumpy', i know what you're thinking, could be the wheels but i had them all rebalanced and should be fine.

Having never put a little pressure on the clutch whilst moving, it may be completely normal to feel a little lumpy, so not really sure. As for sounding like a tractor i have always though the GTi sounds a bit rough and mine doesnt seem to have changed,

Did yours feel lumpy when actually driving too? and how long was it from noticing the symptoms until it went Bang?

Ri

Hi rskardon,

The pedal feedback was huge. Like the ABS feedback but through all pedals. As a follow up, the garage seems to have damaged the engine mounts when reinstalling the engine, the pedal sensations were very similar to those you describe, but the engine not had also changed. Really difficult to describe how, it just sounded wrong. These are now getting replaced as is the cambelt, the shifting engine had marked the cambelt. All under warranty thank god.

Cheers,
Andy

[pany]

Hi guys excuse my forum skills but only new to this. I have my Gti for about a month now and i've noticed as it ticks over it tends to give a faint shudder every 5-10 secs. Just wondering is this the same problem you experienced when your flywheel went boom or has anyone any suggections. Any would greatly be appreciated

Hi PaddyWagon,

Can't help I'm afraid, very different to my symptoms.

Hopefully one of the wise sages on here will be of more use than I am.