Just had the F37 recall (finally) performed on the wife's '05. We started getting a vibration from the driveline that kept getting worse and worse. The first time the dealer said they couldn't feel it or find it. We took it home and kept it until it was like driving a paint mixer around.

Took it back to the dealer and they said (without even driving it) it must be the torque converter as we'd not had the recall done yet. We finally said "fine, do the darn recall if it turns your crank". It had been running just fine up until this point. We tried to tell them the vibration felt like a bad u-joint, but of course, they knew best.

They call back a little later, after driving it, and said, "yeah, um, it's a bad u-joint". Whatever... So, we still had them do the F37 recall, and the whole deal took them two days. Fortunately, they gave her a loaner for that whole time.

What prompted the F37 finally was a comment I heard from a Chrysler engineer that said to me it is not IF the torque converter fails, it is WHEN it fails. OK, nuff said. We'd been rolling the dice long enough.

So, with all said and done, the vibration is gone and it runs like always. She had already had the F31 flash done a long time ago, so the shifting is the same and the rest of the performance and fuel mileage is unchanged. I do notice a little more "seat of the pants" vibration, particularly under low rpms in lockup, which is consistent with the new torque converter. The "bad" torque converters had a damper added to them, and the rivets holding the dampers would fail and lunch the rest of the torque converter. The "F37" converters are just the pre-'05 converters without the added damper. This is info I got first hand from the engineer for the CRD powertrain that sat next to an engineer I worked with for the VW diesel that went into the Caliber, Patriot, and Compass for export.

The rant portion of this all is in 3 years and 53,000 miles, we've had front balljoints replaced (twice), a rear track bar joint replaced, a frozen rear brake caliper, new rear brakes, a new torque converter, multiple flashes, a bad u-joint, 3 EGR valves, a flow control valve, and I'm sure there is something I've forgotten.

I've had my TDI for 120,000 miles and 7 years and haven't had 20% of the problems and it's never been to a dealer. I've done the work myself.

Fortunately, it's all been covered under the 70/7 powertrain warranty, so we've not been out any money, but it's been a lot of time and hassle. But, she still loves the darn thing, and it is a hoot to drive....

chris

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'02 Jetta TDI Wagon 5 spd (mine)
'10 Outback (her's)
'05 CRD Sport (hangar queen)

Dang, another jeep neutered by the F37.

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http://www.Colorado4Wheel.com
"Its not about what you can DO with your Jeep, its about where you can GO with your Jeep."
Knowledgeable - But Caustic

Chris

Do yourself a favor and check the transmission fluid, please.
After the dealer replaced my TC. I drove it next day and checked the fluid.
Showed none. Drove to the dealer and the service manager checked it
4 times and it showed none.
he called the mech. over and they checked it again and none on the stick.
Long story short, the mech. said some TC come in pre-loaded and some
come in with a quart or so.
I was there over an hour with the jeep running and the mech adding trans
fluid till it was up to where it should be.
Must have been an air bubble is all I heard from them.
Mech used all the fluid from his canister that he pours from and had to
open another canister to fill.
I was there and watched it all, is all I can say.
Steve

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06 Silver Liberty
EHM/SEGR
Fumoto Oil Drain
No rock climbing
No mudding
Hangs behind my
motorhome on tow bars. Semi-retired and still learning.

Fact is the instructions gave a incorrect amount of fluid and the tech never checked it. They were supposed to correct the instructions last I herd.

Chris, I've had two TDIs that and I drove each over 100,000 trouble free miles as well

Sir sam.
It was nuetered when they previously did F-31.

Now the question is how much of the CRD's torque can the converter without the damper take

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Atlantic Blue 06 CRD Limited (his)
Joined by a 2000 XJ Classic (hers)

Thanks for the reminder. I'll check the fluid ASAP tomorrow. I thought about checking it, but gave the techs the credit that they did it right.....

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'02 Jetta TDI Wagon 5 spd (mine)
'10 Outback (her's)
'05 CRD Sport (hangar queen)

Exact same thing happened to me. Thats why I always tell people to check their fluid after leaving the dealer.

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2005 CRD Sport
Mods: Glasspack, OME HD Struts & Springs, 2" Daystar lift,
255/70/16 General Grabber AT2's on MOAB's
ORM&EHM with great success!
TJM T17 Bumper, 50W KC HID's