The Volkswagen Transporter T5 and T6 are popular vans known for their reliability and versatility. However, like any vehicle, they are not without their common issues. Below are some of the frequently reported problems for these models:

Volkswagen Transporter T5 Common Problems

1. Dual Mass Flywheel (DMF) Issues
   • Symptoms: Clutch judder, vibrations, or rattling noises during gear changes.
   • Cause: Wear and tear on the DMF, common in higher-mileage vehicles or those used for heavy loads.
2. EGR Valve Problems
   • Symptoms: Loss of power, increased fuel consumption, and the engine management light illuminating.
   • Cause: Carbon build-up in the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve.
3. Turbo Failure
   • Symptoms: Loss of power, black smoke from the exhaust, or a whining noise from the turbo.
   • Cause: Oil contamination or overboosting leading to turbocharger wear.
4. Water Pump and Timing Belt
   • Symptoms: Overheating or visible coolant leaks.
   • Cause: Failure to replace the timing belt and water pump at the recommended intervals can lead to premature failure.
5. Sliding Door Mechanism
   • Symptoms: Doors become difficult to open or close smoothly.
   • Cause: Worn or misaligned rollers and tracks.
6. Rust Issues
   • Symptoms: Visible rust spots, particularly around wheel arches and underbody areas.
   • Cause: Poor paint protection on some models, exacerbated by exposure to road salt.

Volkswagen Transporter T6 Common Problems

1. AdBlue System Faults
   • Symptoms: AdBlue warning light, limp mode activation, or difficulty starting.
   • Cause: Faulty AdBlue injectors or crystallization of AdBlue fluid in the system.
2. DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) Blockage
   • Symptoms: Reduced power, excessive smoke, or the DPF warning light illuminating.
   • Cause: Short journeys preventing the DPF from regenerating properly.
3. Clutch and Gearbox Wear
   • Symptoms: Difficulty selecting gears or slipping clutch.
   • Cause: Heavy usage, towing, or high mileage.
4. Electrical Issues
   • Symptoms: Faulty sensors, central locking issues, or malfunctioning infotainment systems.
   • Cause: Poor connections, software glitches, or worn components.
5. Front Suspension Problems
   • Symptoms: Knocking noises, uneven tyre wear, or poor handling.
   • Cause: Worn suspension bushes or ball joints.
6. Coolant Leaks
   • Symptoms: Low coolant levels or visible puddles under the van.
   • Cause: Faulty water pump or leaking radiator hoses.

General Maintenance Tips

• Regular Servicing: Follow the manufacturer’s service schedule to prevent many of these issues, as with any vehicle!
• Oil Changes: Use the correct grade of oil, especially for engines with turbos or DPFs.
• Timing Belt Replacement: Adhere to intervals for timing belt and water pump replacement to avoid costly repairs.
• DPF Care: If you drive primarily short distances, consider occasional longer trips to allow for DPF regeneration.
• Inspect Sliding Doors and Seals: Regular cleaning and lubrication can prevent sticking or misalignment.

By addressing these issues proactively, you can ensure your T5 or T6 remains reliable and performs optimally over the long term.

Since spring is just around the corner, now is the perfect time to ensure your camper is in top condition for the adventures ahead. After months of winter storage or regular use, your vehicle may need a little attention to keep everything running smoothly.

There’s nothing worse than setting off on a road trip only to be met with unexpected issues—especially when you’re miles away from home or in the middle of nowhere. Avoid the hassle by addressing any minor faults, unusual noises, or general maintenance needs before the season truly begins.

From routine servicing and safety checks to diagnosing knocks, rattles, or electrical gremlins, we’re here to help you get road-trip ready. Rather book in with us today and start the season with confidence!

Why Your VAG Vehicle Deserves Top-Quality Brake Pads and Discs

Let’s talk about something we all rely on but rarely think about until it’s too late: your brakes. Yes, those unsung heroes that save your bacon every time a squirrel darts across the road, or when Karen in her SUV decides to brake-check you for no apparent reason. If you’re driving a high-powered vehicle, investing in top-notch brake pads and discs isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential.

Why You Can’t Cheap Out on Brakes

Here’s the deal: your car isn’t just any car. It’s not a budget hatchback struggling to hit 60 mph. It’s a machine that can go from zero to “I’m gonna lose my license” in seconds. With great speed comes great responsibility—and that responsibility falls squarely on your brakes. Cheap brake pads might save you a few bucks now, but when they’re screeching like a banshee and struggling to stop your beast of a car, you’ll wish you’d splurged for quality.

The Science of Stopping

Think of your brake pads and discs as the dynamic duo of stopping power. Brake pads create friction against the discs, which converts your car’s kinetic energy into heat and brings you to a halt. Now, if you’ve got cheap, low-quality pads, they’ll wear down faster than your patience in Christmas traffic. Worse, they might overheat, leading to brake fade. Trust us, brake fade is as terrifying as it sounds. Imagine pressing the brake pedal and feeling… nothing. Yeah, let’s avoid that.

Quality Matters

When it comes to brake pads and discs, you get what you pay for. High-quality brakes are designed to withstand the intense heat and stress that comes with high-speed driving and sudden stops. They’re made of better materials, last longer, and most importantly, they work when you need them most. Plus, they’ll keep that annoying brake squeal at bay, so you won’t sound like a poorly maintained bus.

Why It’s a No-Brainer for VAG Owners

If you own a VW Golf R, Audi S4, or any other high-powered VAG model, you already know you’re driving something special. Your car’s performance is a finely-tuned symphony of power, precision, and engineering brilliance. Don’t let subpar brakes ruin the harmony. Investing in premium brake pads and discs ensures your car stops as impressively as it accelerates. And let’s be honest, you’re not just buying brakes—you’re buying peace of mind.

How to Choose the Right Brakes

1. Go for Reputable Brands: Look for names you trust, not brands that sound like a knockoff video game console.
2. Check Compatibility: Make sure the pads and discs are designed for your specific VAG model. Trust us, not all brakes are created equal.
3. Consider Your Driving Style: Love the occasional track day? You’ll need performance-oriented brakes. More of a daily driver? Opt for durability and quiet operation.

Don’t Just Take Our Word for It

We’ve seen it all—from warped discs to pads worn down to the metal. The common denominator? Trying to save a few pounds on brakes. Your VAG vehicle deserves better, and frankly, so do you.

The Bottom Line

Good brakes aren’t just about safety (although that’s a biggie). They’re about enjoying your car to the fullest, knowing it’ll stop when you need it to. So go ahead, invest in those top-quality brake pads and discs. Your future self—and your car—will thank you.

Why Your VAG Vehicle Deserves Top-Quality Brake Pads and Discs

OEM parts vs Aftermarket, which do you opt for on your vehicle?

There is a difference between cheap aftermarket parts and Uprated aftermarket parts. Aftermarket parts are made to perform the same function as OEM but they are produced by a third party. OEM parts are as the acronym suggests, original equipment manufacturer. These parts are tested by the auto maker that installed them on your vehicle when it was new. Aka a tier 1 supplier such as Sachs, Mahle and ZF.

Uprated Aftermarket parts are reverse engineered to find the strengths and weaknesses of OEM. The performance specialists can then create parts which perform in some cases better than the original part. This can be done by slightly altering the design or the materials of the product.

Cheap aftermarket parts are created usually using less quality materials and tend to fail much quicker than OEM parts. Yes they are cheaper to purchase initially however if they fail quicker its more economical to fit the correct parts for the job from the start! This is why as a business we only replace faulty parts on a vehicle with OEM parts or if requested Uprated aftermarket parts such as Revo, Racingline and Superpro.

OEM and genuine…

There is a difference and that is that genuine parts are made by the manufacturer and branded and priced as such. OEM parts are as explained above however branded by a third party and priced much cheaper. OEM suppliers are companys such as Lemforder, TRW and Textar. They are usually made in the same factory and go through the same testing as the genuine parts therefore are essentially the same.

What about my warranty?

Always refer to the manufacturers guidelines when looking to use aftermarket parts and consider whether you vehicle is still under warranty. If its still under warranty fitting aftermarket parts may invalidate it if anything were to go wrong.

Obviously we also have to square up our priorities with our budget, vehicle maintenance can be expensive. However this is why we recommend using OEM parts. We carry out extensive vehicle checks before just stating ABC and parts need replacing.

If your looking at upgrading parts to uprated contact us here: We can give you advice for what you are aiming for and send you an estimate!

OEM parts vs Aftermarket

Due to the ever increasing cost of parts, we can no longer put off business price increases. For two years we have absorbed the increasing costs of running the business. However, unfortunately the time has come where it is no longer viable for us to do this. With the costs of parts, electric, fuel and so on all increasing drastically we have to up our prices by around 7% across the board. This increase does still not correlate to the overall increase to us. We have tried to keep the costs as low as we could, as we have never been a business to charge the maximum we could and have always tried to keep our customers right!

Genuine parts

Certain genuine vehicles parts however have shot up in price hugely, some by up to 30%. In these cases we have no control over the increase, be assured we will always give you the best price we can offer.

There may also be more delays sourcing certain genuine parts. This is to do with a number of things we unfortunately have no control over. Certain parts from the dealerships are on back order, in this case we have to place the order and find out within 72 hours a rough time frame. Obviously this isn’t ideal if said part is crucial to your vehicles running. However, again issues like this are out of our control.

Performance parts

Performance parts will also be receiving an increase in the coming months. A few of our suppliers have pre-warned us of the increase in parts. Due to their increasing manufacturing and material costs, companies have no choice but to increase the product cost. As with ourselves, lots of our performance parts suppliers have absorbed the increasing costs for the past couple of years however it’s just no longer sustainable to do so.

If you request a quote from us, please note that the quote is valid for up to a month after. As long as the vehicle is booked in within the month we can honor the quote! If you would like information and pricing on servicing, repairs or upgrades. Call us on 01642 613852 or email us at: northeastautotech@gmail.com. Contact page.

Business price increases

Why are customers hesitant to use quality parts. OEM or Aftermarket parts?

Since we launched the business in 2006 we have always fit quality parts. For us logically its more economical to fit quality OEM parts as opposed to cheaper low quality parts. There are so many reasons for doing this, mainly due to the fact that the OEM parts will have a longer lifespan. They may be slightly more expensive to start with but ultimately, they will last a lot longer.

However, we do have customers who come to us after having work carried out in other garages needing repairs on parts that have recently been fit to the vehicle. These parts can be less than half the price of the OEM standard we would fit. When put into perspective, it’s no wonder the parts don’t last as long.

Safety Aspects

Apart from the economical side of things, OEM parts regularly have supersession’s.  This is to do with identifying there is a defect with the design of the original. They then modify the part to improve it. This is another downfall of aftermarket parts as they are always based on the original design, so they are not up to date. Making them less efficient immediately, as the part would have been superseded if there wasn’t an issue with it. There may also be properties within the materials of the parts unknown to the aftermarket supplier. Making these parts break easier or cause the vehicle to have a different feel to the drive.

A lot of the time the aftermarket parts are backward engineered. This isn’t always is a bad thing is a part has stopped being produced as the vehicle is very old for example. However if you want your vehicle to be the safest it can be, its best to stick with OEM parts.

Braking

A good example of the differences between OEM and aftermarket parts is brakes. Brakes have to be made to a minimum of R90 standard. However that’s only a base standard. The OEM parts rating goes way above and beyond the base standard. This means a lot of the cheaper brakes are only just making the minimum standard. Why would you be happy settling for the base standard on what is essentially a safety feature? Obviously safety on the roads should be paramount and incase of a potential collision, the quality of your brakes could make a massive difference. You can read more about this here on a blog by TMD friction. They manufacture OEM brakes and are local to us too in Hartlepool!

Tell us your opinion. What would you prefer on your vehicle, OEM or aftermarket?