I recently received a phone call from a local shop owner, Steve at VW Solutions, with an 09G transmission problem. Steve is a Volkswagen factory trained technician and has been to Volkswagen’s school for the 09G transmission.
Steve installed the valve body and filled the transmission with fluid, then went on a test drive. Steve drove that car for 30 miles and the transmission worked flawlessly. Steve parked the car and contacted the owner of the car to give them the news that it was finished.
The customer picked up the Beetle and put about 70 miles on the car when the transmission seized up. Even with the engine off and the transmission in neutral you could not push the car forward or backward. Steve sent a flatbed tow truck for the car.
Sure enough, Steve had the wrong valve body for his application. It turns out that the valve body was boxed wrong from Volkswagen. The teachable moment here is to take the time to verify that the replacement part matches the original; it could save you thousands of dollars.
Subscribe to Motor Age and receive articles like this every month…absolutely free. Click here