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Aftermarket stepper motor

4K views 17 replies 4 participants last post by  T1V6 
#1 ·
Hi all

I have searched the forums for stepper motor advice, and while the symptoms match, I was wondering if anyone has tried an aftermarket stepper motor?

I have been quoted £871 by the dealer, but noticed they can be had on eBay for around £200, but I wasn't sure how dependable they were. Would welcome any suggestions please.

Model is a 2005 V6 TDI. I have the clicking noises / judder on slow speed lock, it has also developed a rumble @ 40mph at the same time. Could be unrelated but I have also read reports of this. Propshaft has already been replaced for a genuine VW item.
 
#2 ·
You risk buying a dud as it will have come from a car with similar age/mileage and therefore having the same failure but if the supplier guarantees the part for say 3-6 months at least that is some reassurance.

also make sure that your tyres are all the same brand and type and that the treads are within 2mm on the same axle and no more than 3mm between front and rear axles 👍
 
#3 ·
Thank you Cass, I forgot to mention they are brand new aftermarket units on eBay. It also has a set of matching fairly recent Dunlop's, but noted on the tread difference between front and rear. I hope once this is out the way it will behave for a while!
 
#4 ·
For £200 you can only try - when you say aftermarket are these third party manufactured or refurbished VW units and what guarantee pdi they have 🤔
 
#5 ·
I used to know who made the stepper motors for VW but I'm snookered if I can remember it now! Anyone know?
 
#8 ·
After a bit more brain racking I think it was a company called Globe.
 
#10 ·
With a lot of VWs now being made in China there are many Chinese parts suppliers making "OEM" quality parts for VW as best VW can control them. There are also many others in china making cheap copies of these Chinese "OEM" parts, as intellectual property protection is not a strength of the Chinese system.

All of them sell cheap online either direct or via a variety of channels. Finding good ones versus bad ones is the challenge. General ones that look too cheap are. I try to find something about 1/3 to 1/2 the local VW dealers price. Still a crap shoot but your odds are somewhat better. But even VW European made OEM parts can be a crap shoot as a lot of them come out of countries not renowned for there manufacturing excellence and quality control
 
#11 ·
Thanks for your input and noted on the Chinese copies, I always try and buy genuine, or from well known aftermarket brands, where I can. I couldn't find any Globe stockists, so I went for the D2P one in the end. The unit has a 12 month warranty and an easy returns process if the part is incorrect for example. I looked at reviews and they seem reputable, as well as from forum users that have bought via them, they also have a 100% eBay rating. It's an easy swap from what I have read so even if four fail in four years I will still have paid less than the dealer price. But if the latter is so renowned for letting go I do wonder how good the OEM units are?
 
#12 ·
There were weaknesses with the stepper motor in early models and the problem was rectified so it didn’t appear in later years. From memory, I think VW updated the build as they went along and you might find that the stepper motor part number changed over the years - subsequent redesigns would have had a change in the part number letter suffix to reflect the updates. Some early Tregs also used to eat tyres but that was also limited with changes in specification.
 
#13 ·
A large number of the original stepper motors on early T1s were replaced quite quickly when people started complaining about tyres grabbing on tight turns at low speeds.

The stepper motors have a manufacturing date on the easy to see label which is the first clue on changes and the replacement usually has the part number ending with the suffix C.

After a while VW stopped replacing them as they came up with a TSB that delivered a software change instead.
.
 
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#14 ·
I removed the old stepper motor over the weekend and noted it was original (2005) but didn't look into the part number as I hadn't read the last reply.

For anyone looking to do this job is was straightforward, all I would say is reuse the OEM bracket held by the two 8mm bolts, as this seemed to align better with the transfer box casing. The clip holding the larger electrical connector on also broke off due to old age so a cable tie threaded through the plug and anchored by the metal harness bracket on the stepper motor seems to have done the job.

Shuddering at slow speed e.g. while reversing on lock and a clicking when moving forwards on lock has now disappeared.
 
#15 ·
Well done.
 
#16 ·
Result - please post an update after a suitable period of use 👍
 
#17 ·
Thanks both, I'll see how it performs in the coming months. Something to also note is the black protective plastic cover for the spline can also be used to perfectly align the latter for the transfer box, using the old unit for reference. I read about a screwdriver being used, but didn't want to damage the teeth.
 
#18 ·
As an update, in temperatures over approx 10c there is no binding when applying heavy lock (the same amount every time I leave the driveway). However, in anything sub 10c binding occurs, and there is a faint vibration on a straight until the car warms up. I've searched, but have no idea what this could be?
 
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