You have to be kidding, right?

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A3DOL

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So the story is after I the problems with poor starting when warm, excessive juddering etc I take my A3 to a VW/Audi specialist today to have diagnosed that the crank shaft is knackered.

That is what has been causing the flywheels to break so quickly after being fitted and explains why its poor to start when hot etc.

I honestly cant believe it. All that f~cking money wasted so far and its a knackered crank shaft. SO SO SO SO SO annoyed with it.

Looking at at least £1500 to repair, inc new flywheel (No. 4), clutch, shaft, labour + vat.

Speachless. :sob:
 
Just to clarify, did he do all the previous flywheels?
 
What car is it?
I assume the other FWs have been done for free/warrenty etc. Have they specified how the crank is faulty to affetc the flywheel and clutches, I am curious?
 
audi upgrades
& they dont sound very much a specialist
 
All previous work done by local garage, not a specialist.

Car A3 1.9 TDi 54 plate 69k.

Took to Mackenzie's Audi/VW specialist in Lichfield today and senior technician diagnosed problem. He said that the 5 bearing crank shaft is either cracked/broken and when warm its causing the flywheel to move excessivley. This is whats caused the repeat problem. He explained it doesnt do it when cold because the components are taught.

He also said that it coulnd't be the starter etc because the components on the flywheel are so much stronger. He checked with the laptop and NO faults found.

Everything he said makes sense.

Not making it any easier though. You wouldn't believe how fed up I am with this.
 
i cannot believ that the crank is snapped . The 1.9 tdi crank is often used to stroke a petrol 1.8t as its very strong out of the box. They then put HUGE turbos and a set of rods etc and get 500BHP and matching torques.

I would certainly look at contacting Audi and ask them as it has to be a flaw thats caused it.
 
Ouch! I'd be curious how the crank could fail at what I'd class a premature mileage over and above the usual, how'd you snap a crank??? I too am curious how he figured this out.
 
could it be balance weights on the crank missing/broken causing the problem.

Does the A3 even have them?
 
I dont think so, its a one piece item balanced when made. There could be movement if the shells were wore due to oil starvation I guess.
 
Cranks are most often cast in one piece and then balanced by removing stock from the webbings. There is nothing that can fall off the crank as it were. I cannot believe the torque required to move a car around has snapped it.

I am also struggling to believe that if it were snapped the torque required to move the car would surely just make it spin, thus the car remaining still as in theory assuming it was broken, it would only be friction holding the 2 sections together.
 
a crank:

hrdp_0811_04_z+ford_428_cobra_jet_engine+crank.jpg
 
If the crankshaft had snapped, the car wouldnt be going anywhere, there would be an almighty grinding and crunching and you'd stop. Probably with bits of rod chucked out the side of the block for good measure.

The engine would be a write off.

I dont believe it could be the bearings either, if there was enough play there, then they'd likely pickup and lunch themselves.
 
I dont understand either.

It drives perfect. under load you would never know there is a problem.

When stationary, the whole car is moving back and forth as if the flywheel is proper worn. When this happened last time they thought the flywheel was faulty so they just replaced it. Within 3 days the symptoms were back. Poor starting, juddering constantly when idling.

Thinking of dropping the sump and having a look at the crank. Is the sump easy to remove?
 
forgot to mention,

when the flywheels were removed both had worn by 7 teeth and 30%.

If the starter is engaging, turning the flywheel and then disengaging, the juddering is caused by the worn flywheel bearing, then there must be a problem with the crank somewhere. It the only other place the flywheel is connected to something.

It cant be the starter so I cant think what else it could possibly be. It has to be mechanical.

Could it be a worn pully causing it?
 
do you mean 7 teeth were missing ? if a crank had snapped i don't see how the car would run.
 
I said the same to the 'specialist' but he says when under load the car will run because its a 5 bearing crank.

Not sure if the teeth were missing, they just said it had worn by 7 teeth and 30%.

From what you are all saying its pointing away from the crank. But what on earth else can cause flywheels to go that quick?
 
I just doesn't sound right to me. If a crank is either cracker or broken then the parts would be coming out the side of the block.

Worn teeth to me sounds more like a flywheel crank alignment issue, maybe the crank hasn't been machined very well so the flywheel isn't perfectly central, causing a balance problem wearing teeth on the bellhousing???
 
When I got the car 2 years ago it was fine.

The problems started in Jan this year and have got worse. No work was done prior to the problem starting so I cant relate it.

At first we just thought the DMF was worn, so a new one went in. Symptoms came back within a week, another DMF went in, same again. Symptoms back within a week.

FINE starting when cold, awful when hot but it does fire and drive superb.

Have covered everything I can think of. Think its got to go. i simply cant waste anymore money on it,
 
I'm no real mechanic but from my knowledge & some common sense if the crank was broken I to also dont see how the car would run at all anyway, isnt that just slightly impossible, now a crack might throw of alignment enough to do this damage, seems most likely tbh.

So any further along on this then?
 
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