snobrdrdan
former GTI owner
- Location
- Southeast Michigan
It's a little rusted too....so it's not "fresh"
7
Crack Found :(
- Thread starter elamothe15
- Start date
PSU
1660/5000
- Location
- Penn State
Plot twist. Your dealer is registered on this forum and saw this thread.
elamothe15
Ready to race!
- Location
- Rhode Island, USA
So I removed my intake and the dogbone mount. Must say it was like 100x easier to do the insert this time around. Bolt came out fairly easily...seems to be right around the 100nm and the arm was not misaligned. Easily able to do it myself and took 10min to remove it. Maybe it was the fact that I had 15k miles that it was so hard to loosen the bolt the first time around. Could've had something to do with the arm getting misaligned too, but who knows.
Took a look at the crack and nothing has changed in the last few days.
All ready for the dealership visit tomorrow. Let's hope everything goes well.
Took a look at the crack and nothing has changed in the last few days.
All ready for the dealership visit tomorrow. Let's hope everything goes well.
elamothe15
Ready to race!
- Location
- Rhode Island, USA
Well I dropped the car off at VW yesterday. Brought it up on the lift and I showed the mechanic the obvious crack. He quickly checked the other 2 motor mounts on the side and said they seem fine and it could just be a defective sub frame. Hopefully that's true and once it's replaced there's not something else that caused it in the first place and it won't happen again.
He said it's a pretty simple job...just taking the control arms, and the torque arm off and dropping it out. Is that really all it entails? Is there anything else...steering column etc.? Will I need an alignment or anything else besides just the new subframe install? Any help is appreciated. Just want to make sure I get the car back and don't need to worry about anything else they should've done along with it.
In the meantime I have a 2015 2.0L auto Jetta. Boy is this thing so slow and sloppy. Really makes me appreciate my GTI wayyyy more. Love my car haha. Anyways will be calling tomorrow to follow up on when the part should arrive and how long it'll take to get fixed. My hope is to have it back by the end of next week. Will just have to stay on top of them!
He said it's a pretty simple job...just taking the control arms, and the torque arm off and dropping it out. Is that really all it entails? Is there anything else...steering column etc.? Will I need an alignment or anything else besides just the new subframe install? Any help is appreciated. Just want to make sure I get the car back and don't need to worry about anything else they should've done along with it.
In the meantime I have a 2015 2.0L auto Jetta. Boy is this thing so slow and sloppy. Really makes me appreciate my GTI wayyyy more. Love my car haha. Anyways will be calling tomorrow to follow up on when the part should arrive and how long it'll take to get fixed. My hope is to have it back by the end of next week. Will just have to stay on top of them!
GLoBaLReBeL
Ready to race!
- Location
- South Bend, IN
They will need to to do an alignment after that is inserted. Anytime they mess with the tie rods or TC rods, alignment will need to be done to correct.
elamothe15
Ready to race!
- Location
- Rhode Island, USA
UPDATE: Talked to the dealership over the weekend and the part is supposed to arrive today. They said my car should be ready either today or tomorrow. Definitely excited to get it back.
Alignment will be done along with the replacement of the subframe. Let's hope this issue was not caused by something else and does not come back again. Definitely odd for something like a crack in a steel frame to happen. I'll just have to make sure that I keep an eye on it.
Alignment will be done along with the replacement of the subframe. Let's hope this issue was not caused by something else and does not come back again. Definitely odd for something like a crack in a steel frame to happen. I'll just have to make sure that I keep an eye on it.
golfdave
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Scotland (U.K.)
- Car(s)
- Mk7 Golf GT Estate
Usually 4 main bolts from subframe to body, then 4 smaller ones for rear helper brackets.
Then remove dogbone mount (gearbox to subframe (3 bolts max maybe only 1)
Then remove arms (2 bolts each side)
Then 4 bolts for steering rack
Then undo the ARB droplink bolts to struts as the ARB will come out with the subframe as it is mounted onto it..
I think that's it....
Then remove dogbone mount (gearbox to subframe (3 bolts max maybe only 1)
Then remove arms (2 bolts each side)
Then 4 bolts for steering rack
Then undo the ARB droplink bolts to struts as the ARB will come out with the subframe as it is mounted onto it..
I think that's it....
elamothe15
Ready to race!
- Location
- Rhode Island, USA
Can someone take a look under their car and check out the upper half of subframe where the dogbone mount sits? I talked to my dealer yesterday to get a timing update...looks like it won't be ready under Wednesday now.
Anyways, the dealer said they had another GTI they looked under and said it had a similar "crack" or splinter and said this was normal with how they press and make the subframe. They said my gap was a little larger so they will replace it, however it was normal. I don't believe this one bit and I'm very interested to get my back and look under again because according to what he said the "normal crack" should still be there. Definitely interested to see what other's subframes look like though
Anyways, the dealer said they had another GTI they looked under and said it had a similar "crack" or splinter and said this was normal with how they press and make the subframe. They said my gap was a little larger so they will replace it, however it was normal. I don't believe this one bit and I'm very interested to get my back and look under again because according to what he said the "normal crack" should still be there. Definitely interested to see what other's subframes look like though
elamothe15
Ready to race!
- Location
- Rhode Island, USA
Well I got my car back today after the "cracked" subframe was replaced. Sure enough they replaced the entire subframe and dog mount bushing and the "crack" is not actual a crack and is truly due to how they make the piece. After I looked at the part for awhile I ended up figuring out how it's made. They definitely press the main piece of the subframe and the dogbone part is originally just a hole. Then they must take a piece of rolled steel where they install the rubber mount and insert and weld it onto the subframe. This is why the "crack" appears as it it only just the gap of where the rolled the sheet of steel together to make the mount itself.
Just figured I'd let everyone know that if they see this that its normal. Besides being a little rusty the "crack" appears to be exactly the same.
Here is before
And after with the new subframe
Just figured I'd let everyone know that if they see this that its normal. Besides being a little rusty the "crack" appears to be exactly the same.
Here is before
And after with the new subframe
PouncingPanzer1
Go Kart Champion
- Location
- Cleveland/Amish Country
Yea I just took mine in yesterday for this, noticed it when I was installing my dogbone insert. At first the tech said what I said 'That sum bitch is cracked!"
A few bays down there was a Golf TSI in the air, it had the same "seam" as we started to refer to it as. However mine, like yours, is opened up noticeably more than it was on the Golf TSI. I will keep an eye on it, but seeing this makes me more comfortable. Glad you got a picture, my phone is garbage and couldn't focus up in that cavity.
I might get ambitious enough one day and weld it just because. If anything it is a point for corrosion to start.
A few bays down there was a Golf TSI in the air, it had the same "seam" as we started to refer to it as. However mine, like yours, is opened up noticeably more than it was on the Golf TSI. I will keep an eye on it, but seeing this makes me more comfortable. Glad you got a picture, my phone is garbage and couldn't focus up in that cavity.
I might get ambitious enough one day and weld it just because. If anything it is a point for corrosion to start.
Finglonga
Drag Racing Champion
- Location
- Stafford, UK, Earth, Solar System.
There has been threads on this before, it is not a crack it is the join in the rolled steel where the piece is welded in and nothing to worry about. Surprised that any dealer would replace it under warranty as it is the same under most VW/Audi cars.
Armystrong
Passed Driver's Ed
- Location
- Bonney Lake WA
What would be great is if someone could take some pictures further away so we know where to look. More than likely all of us have this crack/seam, to prevent the onset of corrosion/rust we will know where to go in order to apply a rust inhibitor....part of preventive maintenance checks there after.
I think VW USA is partly to blame also since they would have had to approve this kind of warranty repair ergo they should have known that this WASN'T a crack.
