Technical Bulletin
Model(s)

Year

Eng. Code

Trans. Code

VIN Range From

VIN Range To

Touareg

2011-2015

All

All

All

All

Condition
48 15 01 January 13, 2015 2038140 Supersedes Technical Bulletin V481406 dated November 19, 2014 to include
model year 2015 applicability.
Vibrations in Steering Wheel
The customer may state:
1. Shimmy/rotational vibration in the steering wheel at constant speed.
Shimmy/rotational vibrations in the steering wheel at various speeds.

2. Shimmy/rotational vibrations in the steering wheel when braking.

3. Vibration felt in the entire vehicle:
The vibration can be felt in the seat surfaces, in the underbody, in the foot well, or in the pedal.
The vibration is more prevalent when braking/accelerating.

Technical Background
Flatspots:
After a short stationary period (sometimes as little as a few hours) flat spots can develop after the warm tire has
cooled down. The effect the flat spotted tire has on the vehicles performance depends on the type, dimension,
make, and pressure of the tire.
Flat spots alter the radial force variation and must be driven out before balancing the wheel.
Effects of increased radial forces on the vehicle:
Increased radial forces on the front or rear tires cause vibrations in the vehicle.
Increased radial forces on the front tires amplified by braking can also lead to vibrations in the vehicle.

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intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
Explanations and definitions:

Radial force variation (RFV)
The radial force or wheel load is the force with which
a tire is compressed (Figure 1) Tires have softer and
stiffer areas along their circumference, which is
illustrated using springs (Figure 1, A and B). Figure 1
shows the same tire at different points of rotation (A
and B), as it rolls on level road with constant load
(radial force).

Figure 1

Tip:
If this wheel rolls, the center of the wheel rises and falls X distance with a constant wheel load (illustration 1, arrow
1). This change in arrow 1 by X distance can be felt in the vehicle as vibration or shaking of the steering wheel.

Note:
The attached questionnaires must be filled out and submitted to the chassis team email box
VWGoA.Chassis@vw.com and kept on file for warranty purposes.

Production Solution
No production change required.

Service
Procedure:
• Complete the following steps to eliminate vibrations (flat spots) and radial force fluctuations.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
Warm balancing / matching of wheels
1. Check all tires for the following points:
• Tread and side wall damage (for example: broken tread, impact damage/bubbles and so on).
• Tread depth.

WARNING:
The manufacturer recommends:
Replace tires damaged by external influences (for example impact damage/bubbles and so on).
Damaged tires are an increased safety risk.
Replace tires with a tread depth of under 4 mm, otherwise this procedure will not be totally effective.

2. Check and correct the tire pressure of every wheel to at least 36 PSI or the permitted maximum specified value.
3. Perform a test drive of at least 18 miles, if possible on a highway, traffic and road conditions permitting over
different speed ranges (up to 60 mph).

Note:
Make sure that you do not endanger yourself or others during the test drive.
During the test drive observe all traffic laws.
4. After the road test, raise the vehicle immediately and begin removing the wheels for balancing.

Tip:
New flat spots can develop during a short stationary period while the tires cool down so it is important to put the
vehicle on the lift immediately following the test drive.

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intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
5. Balance the wheels on a stationary balancing machine.

Tip:
The manufacturer recommends to balance / road force the wheels on the -VAS 6230 A/B- Hunter machine.
Measure, balance and (if necessary) match the wheel according to the instructions of the equipment.
When tightening the wheel on the balancing machine make sure the contact surfaces of flange and wheel are
clean, the wheel is correctly centered and a suitable cone and/or flange are used. We recommend the use of a
five-finger flange.

Note:
The fluctuation of the radial force does not depend on the turning direction and is measured as the difference
between maximum and minimum radial force (road force).
If the radial force cannot be reduced below the specified value of 26 lbs. by matching, replace the tire.
The wheels must be installed on the vehicle according to the instructions of the manufacturer and the repair
manual.
Securing the wheel on the vehicle
Note: This is the most sensitive and critical portion of the repair!
• Check whether the contact surfaces on the brake disc and wheel are free of corrosion and dirt, clean if
necessary.
• Check whether the centering hole of the wheel and the centering of the hub are free of corrosion and dirt, clean
if necessary.
• The wheels holes and the wheel bolts must be free of dirt and corrosion. It must be possible to lightly turn the
wheel bolts by hand without using a tool.
Note:
Severely corroded or damaged bolts must be replaced according to the repair manual/ETKA.
• Make sure that the wheel bolts are the correct version and length.

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intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
Each wheel bolt hole is assigned a number from 1 to
5. These numbers will be referenced below. (Star
pattern)

Figure 2

• Align the position of the brake disc holes/hub threads as shown in Figure 3 below.

Example of proper brake disc hole/hub thread
positioning.
• The brake disc bolt should be in the 6 o’clock
position as seen in the picture.
• Wheel bolt hole number 1 should be in the 12
o’clock position. See Figure 2 above for wheel
bolt hole numbering.
• One of the three hub flanges should also be in the
12 o’clock position.

Figure 3

• The reason this position is important is the weight of the wheel must be supported in order for proper centering
to occur. When the there is one of the hub flanges on top the weight of the wheel is supported while the wheel
is secured in wheel bolt hole number 1.

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intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
Example of improper positioning.

Figure 4

Example of improper positioning.

Figure 5

• Insert the wheel on the hub and secure it loosely by hand it starting with wheel bolts number 1 and 2 (See
figure 2 above 4).
• Screw in the remaining wheel bolts by hand in the star pattern specified in Figure 5. This will ensure precise
centering of the wheel. Initially tighten the wheel bolts to 30 Nm.

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intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
Tighten all the wheel bolts in the star pattern specified
in the picture.
Tighten the wheel bolts to the specified tightening
torque with a torque wrench by hand.
Note:
Do not use a pneumatic impact gun to install the
wheel bolts.

Figure 6
• Lower the vehicle until the tires just begin to touch the floor. Torque the bolts by hand to the specified value in
ElsaPro using a torque wrench.
• Lower the vehicle to the floor.
• Ensure the correct vehicle-related tire pressure.
• Test drive the vehicle.
• Assess the vehicle again in the affected speed range.

Tip:
If the vibrations persist, call the helpline for further assistance. Before calling the helpline all steps in this bulletin
must be completed and documented. Please be as specific as possible regarding the steps used and customer
complaint when calling the helpline.

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intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
Warranty
To determine if this procedure is covered under Warranty, always refer to the Warranty Policies and
1)
Procedures Manual
Model(s)

Year(s)

Eng. Code(s)

Trans. Code(s)

VIN Range From

VIN Range To

Touareg

2011-2015

All

All

All

All

SAGA Coding
Claim Type:

Use applicable Claim Type

1)

Damage
Service Number:

HST

Damage Location
(Depends on Service No.)

--

Use applicable when
indicated in ElsaWeb
(L/R)

Code

4405

0013

Parts Manufacturer

Touareg

WWO

2)

3)

Labor Operation :
Balance 2 wheels

44059400 = 50 TU

Or
Balance 4 wheels

44059404 = 90 TU

3)

Labor Operation :
Clean 2 front wheel hubs

40643050 = 10 TU

AND/OR

Clean 2 rear wheel hubs

42683050 = 10 TU

Causal Part: Select Labor Operation

4405940*
Diagnostic Time

GFF Time expenditure

4)

01500000 = 00 TU max.

NO

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intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
Road Test

01210002 = 10 TU

YES

01210004 = 10 TU
Technical Diagnosis: Check all
tires:

01320000 = 10 TU max.

YES

• Damage
• Tread depth
• Tire pressure
Claim Comment: Input “As per Technical Bulletin 2038140” in comment section of Warranty Claim.
1)

Vehicle may be outside any Warranty in which case this Technical Bulletin is informational only

2)

Code per warranty vendor code policy.

3)

Labor Time Units (TUs) are subject to change with ELSA updates.

4)

Documentation required per Warranty Policy Procedures Manual.

Required Parts and Tools
Part No:

Part Description

Quantity

See ETKA

Wheel Weights

As required

Tool Description

Tool No:

Wheel Balacing Machine

VAS 6230 A/B- Hunter
Or equivalent

Additional Information
All part and service references provided in this Technical Bulletin are subject to change and/or removal.
Always check with your Parts Dept. and Repair Manuals for the latest information.

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No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Tire information sheet
1. Customer complaint
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Be as specific as possible. Speed range, vibrations in complete vehicle, vibrations (only) in steering wheel, during
acceleration, vibrations (only) when braking or accelerating, vibrations permanently or from stop, etc.

2. Vehicle data
VIN number:_______________
Vehicle delivery date: _____/______/_____
Mileage of affected tires:____________
Vehicle mileage:____________
Urban/country/highway driving in %: ______/_______/______ Part number of wheel:____________

3. Tire information (cold condition)
Wheels installed? Factory
…VW accessories
…After Market
Make of tire: __________________
Tire type: __________________
Dimension: _______________
Manufacturer code: ____________(e.g.: AO, AOE, R01)
Make of balancing machine:_____________

Last calibration date of machine: ___________

Front left

Front right

Rear left

Rear right

DOT (last four digits mm-yy)
Tyre pressure in bar
Tire pressure according to label

correct

correct

correct

correct

incorrect

incorrect

incorrect

incorrect

Tread depth in mm
outside / center / inside
Existing wheel weights
Outer/inner balancing track (size)
Damage on tire (yes/no)
Damage on wheel (yes/no)

4. Tire information after the balancing
Warm Balance
(Conduct a test drive of at least 13 miles, at highway speeds (60 mph) if possible)
Front left

Front right

Tire pressure in bar
Road force value in pounds (lbs)
before matching
Road force value in pounds (lbs) after
matching
Missing weight per level/track
in gram outside/inside

*Road force values can be established with Hunter tester VAS 6230

Rear left

Rear right

Vibrations, steering wheel vibrations and juddering
A test drive with the customer is necessary.
Divide the complaint into the following symptoms:

VIN number: ______________
FRED report number: ______________

The complaint occurs …
at the beginning of the journey and gradually eases or disappears altogether
at constant speed the and remains while driving at that speed
in acceleration and overrun and when pressing the clutch or in the N position
in acceleration and overrun, but not when pressing the clutch or in the N position
in acceleration and overrun. It involves a juddering/vibrating in driving direction
with pressed clutch or position N at an engine speed range of

rpm to

rpm.

stronger when accelerating. Occurs in acceleration and overrun, but eases when the vehicle is put in N
only when braking, whereby the pedal pressure is

light,

medium,

when braking the complaint gets worse, when the pedal pressure is

strong
light,

medium,

strong

The complaint can be felt in the*:
driver or passenger seat,

steering wheel,

shifter lever,

pedal,

footwell,

centre console or tunnel,

rear seats.

It involves*:
vehicle vibrations,

steering wheel vibrations,

traction disruption,

juddering,

misfiring,

humming or droning noises.
Additional information*:
 speed of

mph to

mph

 since when does the complaint occur?
 with summer

or winter

tires

 in which gears or driving modes:
(since x weeks, since vehicle purchase or tire change,…)
*select all that apply