VW warns of 1150 pitfalls
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• Volkswagen has told its lealers to refer any new sales A LT50 artic conversions back o its Swindon engineering de)artment because, "a number A potential pitfalls exist".
Homestyle of Manchester ippears to have fallen foul of hese pitfalls, with its three ...T50 turbo-diesel tractive unts going through a claimed six .eplacement engines in only 12 nonths. Volkswagen, however, Ittributes these problems to "a ack of proper maintenance" by be operator.
Homestyle's three 7.5 tonne CW LT5Os are used to pull Ken Rosebury-built box semi:milers, carrying built-up latchHi units. It says that the vehicles, bought in May and June A last year, have had six engine and numerous turbocharger replacements. Homestyle claims it has all the major service records, but intermediate hil changes were done inhouse. While it is "more than happy" with the service it has received from Volkswagen and the dealer, Smith Knight and Fay, it is concerned that it will have to pay for all future work on the vehicles now that they are out of warranty.
Volkswagen says there is no record of the recommended 7,500km oil change or the first full service at 1,600km being carried out on any of the vehicles. It claims that Homestyle's records are undated and unsigned, and that it has given Homestyle "extensive support'' with warranty replacements and replacement vehicle hire charges. Although it has disassociated itself with the Homestyle vehicles, the manufacturer is clearly concerned about the marginal nature of the LT50 7.5-tonne mini-artic conversions.
The dealer memo mentions "engineering issues" that should be taken into account when specifying LT drawbar and artic conversions. These include; frontal area drag, gearbox and rear axle ratios: dynamic stability; and the suitability of vehicle suspension and braking systems. The memo also adds that a failure to consult Swindon about such conver sions may result in "warranty and product liability becoming the responsibility of the dealer". The memo follows initial problems of tyre bursting on such conversions.
Mini artics of the type used by Homestyle are mainly built by two companies in this country: Ken Rosebury and Lynton Commercials. Rosebury claims to have built over 50 vehicles in the last five years without any problems. It says that Volkswagen initiated the conversion some years ago and a Rosebury-converted vehicle was displayed at a factory show in Antwerp soon afterwards. The company is unhappy with the VW memo which it claims is "ambiguous" and would prefer to meet with the engineering department and discuss the problems.
Lynton Commercials also claims to have completed many LT50-based mini artics without any problems. It says that it checks the design with the customers' usage pattern and adjusts the final specification to suit the type of journey, gross weights, body type, loads and any pertinent points. The only problems it has had is when a vehicle specified for one sort of operation is sold on to perform an entirely different function.
Lynton is also unhappy with the memo, and is quite williing to help the manufacturer to sort out a bodybuilders' guide for use with the LT. "If Volkswagen moved away from the LT conversion without consulting us, then we have other pre-qualified vehicles that we would recommend to customers," the company says.
0 Volkswagen has made a number of minor revisions to its light commercial line-up. Prices for the 1989 Golf and Polo vans, along with the Caddy pickup, are also frozen.
For 1989, the Polo van gains an intermittent wash/wipe and a new colour option. The Golf hatchback van gets electricallyheated washer jets and a centre console and an internallyadjustable passenger door mirror. The driver's mirror is now a wide-angle unit.
The rear-engined Transporter panel van gains an intermittent wash/wipe, and a driver's door tray — as does the larger LT range. The noise reduction kit fitted as standard to diesel and turbo-diesel versions of the LT can now be fitted to petrolengined models, at extra cost.