[ultra238a]

With this being my first VW I thought I would be getting a reliable car.

Whilst I am the second owner of the car, it was previously owned by VW and has a full VW service history (and 65k miles).

After me doing 1k miles in it something started leaking oil which turned out to be the gearbox. The oil had also gone onto the clutch.

I was told by the garage that one of the cogs in the gearbox had sheared off and punctured the gearbox housing causing the oil leak which had gone onto the clutch and destroyed the clutch.

I have been told by two sources that this is a common problem!

Anybody any ideas on where I can get a used working gearbox and clutch for my Bora as I don't want to pay the £1300 the garage wanted to fix it since the car only cost me £5500.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

Paul

 

[Mikedav]

1) The car was only £5500?!?!?!

2) Youve scared the hell out of me now, mines a 1999T SE with 38K on the clock

3) Sorry, I cant actually help

 

[ultra238a]

Yep 'fraid so. The car was up at £6250 but I had no PX and I paid cash.

Two garages and one place that fixes, repairs and replaces gearboxs have all told me that this is a known fault with Bora's.

I am really Removed off about it because the car even with the high'ish miles (only 20k a year) is fab otherwise



Paul

 

[Mikedav]

quote:

Originally posted by ultra238a

Yep 'fraid so. The car was up at £6250 but I had no PX and I paid cash.

Two garages and one place that fixes, repairs and replaces gearboxs have all told me that this is a known fault with Bora's.

I am really Removed off about it because the car even with the high'ish miles (only 20k a year) is fab otherwise



Paul

Well mine was up for £8995 at a maindealer, and I paid £8,400 no P/X. It had 27,000 miles at the time, and wa around book value...yours was a steal at that price.

As for the box...hmm. Your best bet is one of the VAG specific scrap yards such as www.vwaudibreakers.co.uk ... a 1.6 Golf box would fit too presumerably. Is yours the 8v or 16v?

You will still need to find a reputan=ble local garage to do the work, but I avoid main dealers like the plague. I had an accident on the 12TH Dec, towed it to a VW dealer and they said they couldnt even LOOK at it until January 8th. I took it to my local guy, he had it fixed by 5th January. Moral: screw main dealers.

Good Luck

 

[ultra238a]

I agree, screw main dealers.

The £1300 cost for a new gearbox and clutch was from a very reputable garage who I have used for many years. Unf. he won't source and fit second hand parts.

Even with the high miles I thought I was getting a good deal. Shame about the problems as it has put me right of VW's

I forgot to say, the 1.6 Bora can't use a 1.6 Golf gearbox or clutch as the are different (and prob. only slightly).

It is an 8V

Thanks for your help

Paul

 

[smithy]

Sorry to hear your troubles mate.

You could try. www.vwspares.co.uk is a good place to start.

The owner is a member on hear. I think it is enzo.

Like mike said that was a cheap car you bought.

I paid 8500 for my T 1.6 SE with 12000 on the clock.

Just makes you wonder what can happen with a good car like ours.

You could also try www.1stchoice.co.uk is a good one as well.

 

[Enzo]

[qoute]I forgot to say, the 1.6 Bora can't use a 1.6 Golf gearbox or clutch as the are different (and prob. only slightly).[/quote]

Who told you that? Because they are wrong.

There are two different clutches for the 1600 and it just depends on your engine code, AEH, AKL & APF have one clutch, and the ATN & AUS have another.

 

[K13SHN]

Funy post...

Well not funny actually, same thing happened to mine around 10 days ago..

I was told by the garage that one of the cogs in the gearbox had sheared off and damaged.... gear 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the crown pinion wheel thing...also had to have a new cluth as mine was worn.

i know the guy at the garage, so the cost wasnt tooo much, but alot for me as im only a student

£100 clutch

£270 gearbox reconditioned

£100 labour

all plus VAT

he did it for £550.00

I dont understand how it can cost £1300! unless its a whole new gearbox ... just get the gearbox recon-ed

 

[K13SHN]

btw - i bought mine with 50k on the clock around 8 months ago, it now has 65k....

 

[MagicBoy]

I had exactly the same problem as ultra238a.

'99 1.6 8v Bora (Wolfsberg built), gearbox started leaking oil 6 days before the warranty was up @ 24k miles. Replacement was faulty also - major clutch slip due to faulty oil seal in the new gearbox causing contamination, so it was replaced again a week later.

No problems since, and the cars done 16k miles in the 10 months since the new gearbox was fitted. The dealer tech told me off the record (when he took me out in my car) that there were a batch of faulty gearboxes from the late 99 Bora 1.6s.

 

[Mikedav]

quote:

Originally posted by MagicBoy

The dealer tech told me off the record (when he took me out in my car) that there were a batch of faulty gearboxes from the late 99 Bora 1.6s.

Mines done 45k now. Im hoping my car isnt one of them - its a May 1999? Selling it soon anyway so as long as it doesnt go before then!

 

[Toff]

Did you get a gear box in the end mate?

I may have a 23000 mile 5-speed with clutch (from a 2.0 2001 Golf.) You say that the Golf one won't fit the Bora.. do you know why this is?

I'll ask the guy whos trying to fit my 6-speed and see what he says.

- Toff.

 

[andy_not_happy]

I have a Seat Toledo 1.6 1999 V reg that has just had the same problem with the gearbox. It has a VW engine (AKL) and gearbox (DUU) the same one as the Bora 1.6 and some Golfs.

Just under 50k miles and the gearbox has been punctured by broken rivets and lost all the oil and contaminated the clutch. Will cost about ?1000 (including labour) to repair everything at gearbox specialist. (Costs over ?900 for just a new gearbox from VW). Apparently it is difficult to find a second hand gearbox because many have failed.

Checking on the internet and with gearbox place this is a common problem. The final drive gear is attached to the differential by soft rivets that break off - damaging the gears and the gearbox casing.

The final drive gear in the repaired gearbox is attached with nuts and bolts. This is a defective design and it is unacceptable that the gearbox fails catastrophically at this mileage.

Final drive gear showing bolts used to replace rivets

I bought the car second hand from a Seat dealer with a warranty, it is now 6 months out of warranty. Of course the dealer is not interested and told me to contact Seat UK.

I am annoyed that if I had done higher mileage or driven it harder it would have failed within the warranty and be replaced for free.

Andy

 

[KennyW]

Had to get my 1.6 golf towed home tonight, Lots of revving and smoke from under the bonnet [!]

AKL engine with 62k on the clock

I can s elect gears (I think!) but car does not budge

No real warning other than slipping last night, hope it is just the clutch and not oil contamination from a leaking G.Box or Seal

 

[MK3GtiWannabe]

The way to tell if it is about to go is when you are driving the car let it come to a rest without accelerating, you will hear what sounds like a flat tyre coming from the front passenger side of the car, this is the damaged gearbox. I know, was the main sympton on mine.

 

[Sapg]

This just happened to my Bora too. I guess there is nothing I can
do but shell out the ?1000 pounds that they want to charge to replace
the gearbox.

Sapan

 

[Sapg]

I've just registered a complaint with VW, I think you should do the same, my reference number is 4105633.

 

[BORA_TOM]

you could always source a second hand box from one of the numerous vw/audi breakers

 

[Sapg]

I've already had it done at a Renault garage near my work place, I
couldn't afford the time, ?1900 along with the ?500 VW charged to
replace the sump because they threaded the plug during a routine oil
change! I've also had the electric window winder mechanism
replaced twice on the driver's side. The car is only worth about ?4000 now!

VWs kinda suck.

 

[shiuming]

That's bad news. I wonder if they improved the design like they did with window regulator clips. I'm off to my local VW service centre to pick their brains about this...