Technical Bulletin
Model(s)

Year

Eng. Code

Trans. Code

VIN Range From

VIN Range To

Passat

2013-2014

All

All

All

All

Condition
44 13 05 October 24, 2013 2031087 Supersedes T.B. V441304 dated June 27, 2013 to add model year 2014 and
to remove model year 2012 along with models Jetta, Jetta Hybrid, Beetle Sedan and Beetle Convertible
applicability.
Four Wheel Alignment and Vehicle Drift-Pull Overview
This Technical Bulletin provides an overview for performing vehicle four Wheel Alignment, and information on
improving vehicle drift/pull using selective tire placement. The information provided is based on the Hunter
alignment equipment, Hunter GSP9700 with StraightTrak® (VAS 6230x ) and John Bean RFV2000 with OptiLine
(VAS 6311A) diagnostic balancer. The alignment information provided in this bulletin is not limited to the Hunter
alignment equipment, and still applies with the use of other Volkswagen approved alignment equipment. The
diagnostic procedure for selective tire placement, to improve vehicle drift/pull, will require the use of one of the
diagnostic balancers previously mentioned.
The Service Information in This Technical Service Bulletin is divided into four (4) Sections:
Section I: Alignment overview
Section 2: Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI), vehicle drift/pull concerns.
Section 3: Customer concerns for vehicle drift/pull
Section 4: Using Volkswagen approved diagnostic balancers to address vehicle drift/pull

The following topics are addressed in this bulletin:
1. Alignment Terminologies
2. Toe adjustment
3. Camber adjustment
4. Caster measurement
5. Selective tire placement to improve vehicle drift/pull.

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© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
Technical Background
The information provided in this bulletin is intended to assist technicians in obtaining the correct alignment results,
and maximize the use of the alignment, and tire balancer equipment. Vehicle alignment should always be
performed based on the information published in the service manual.

Note:
The repair procedures outlined in this bulletin, to address vehicle drift/pull will be covered ONLY ONCE
under warranty, within the first 3 Months/3000 miles of the warranty in service date.

Note:
Email a scanned copy of the before and after alignment measurements to VWGoA.Chassis@vw.com, and
file the printed copy with the Repair Order. If a Volkswagen Technical Assistance (VTA) ticket was opened,
the alignment before and after measurements should be attached, before the VTA is closed. This is a
requirement for all alignment check or repairs performed under warranty.

Email must include the following information:
• VIN
• Repair Order (RO) Number
• Mileage (from RO)
• Dealer Code

The alignment data must be a legible scanned copy of the original print or screen capture (picture). The
recommended formats are PDF or JPEG.

Page 2 of 23
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
Below are examples of acceptable attachments:

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© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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

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© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
Production Solution
Extensive analysis was conducted by Volkswagen for concerns of vehicle drift/pull and it has been
determined that this condition is NOT caused by any production issues with the vehicle’s steering or
suspension systems. The main contributors for these concerns are tire pull and road surface tilt (road
crown). Tire pull is a natural condition of radial tire construction and road surfaces are tilted for water
drainage. The intent of the information provided in this bulletin is to optimize the straight ahead tracking
of the vehicle for customer satisfaction.

Service
Section 1. Alignment Overview

TOE ‐ The amount the tires point inwards or
outwards when viewing the car from above.
Figure 1

Positive toe (red line) or Toe‐in: The tires point
inwards towards the center of the vehicle.

Negative toe (blue line) or Toe‐out: The tires
point outwards away from the center of the vehicle

Figure 1

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© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
CAMBER ‐ Angle between the vertical axis of the wheel and the
vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front or rear.
Positive (red line): The upper sidewall of the tire is tilted
outwards away from the center of the vehicle.

Negative (blue line): The upper sidewall of the tire is tilted
towards the center of the vehicle.

Figure 2

Page 6 of 23
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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

Figure 3

CASTER ‐ When viewing a car from the side, the angle of the vehicle’s steering axis is defined by drawing a line
through the upper and lower ball joints (for a double wishbone front suspension), or through the strut tower mount
and the lower ball joint.
Positive (red line): The line leans towards the rear of the car.
Negative (blue line): The line leans towards the front of the car.

Tip:
For additional information on wheel alignment see Self Study Program (SSP) 860103 – Wheel Alignment – Basics.

Toe adjustment
Front and rear toe adjustment procedures are located in the repair manual under, Repair Manual > Chassis >
Suspension, Wheel, Steering > 44 Wheels, Tires, Wheel Alignment > General Information.
Note:
When performing wheel alignment, the steering column must be adjusted to the center tilt position. This
is due to steering wheel off set of up to 1.2 degrees from center tilt position of the steering column to the
full up or the full down tilt position.

Page 7 of 23
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
Camber adjustment
Camber adjustments should be made based on the information in the repair manual.
Note:
Front camber is NOT an adjustable angle for normal four wheel alignment. The procedures in the repair
manual to adjust camber are for body collision only (See note in repair manual). If the sub-frame bolts are
loosened or removed to adjust camber, the bolts MUST be replaced with new bolts. Sub-frame bolts are
torque to yield and should never be re-used after they are loosened.

Caster Measurement
Caster is not an adjustable angle
1. When performing alignment using the Hunter equipment, after the initial “Before” measurements are displayed,
additional steps are required to read the correct caster measurement. Without these additional steps, the
equipment may display caster measurements that are out of specification. Please follow the steps below to
obtain the correct caster measurements.

When the initial “Before” measurements are displayed,
scroll down to make additional measurements.

Figure 4

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© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
Press K3 to select > Make Additional Measurement.

Figure 5

Scroll down to select > Frame Angle > Press K4 to select
OK.
Tip:
An electronic level (Inclinometer) can be used to measure
vehicle frame angle. If a tool is not available, measure the
vehicle ride height (Standing height), and if within
specification per the repair manual, enter 0.4° for the left
and right frame angle.

Figure 6

Page 9 of 23
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
Measure the vehicle frame angle at the door sills using an
electronic level (Inclinometer).
Tip:
The frame angle for the car in figure 9 measures 0.9°,
where the rear is higher than the front. The nominal frame
angle is 0.4° by design and must be subtracted from the
measured frame angles.
For example 0.9° ‐ 0.4° = 0.5°

Figure 7

Enter the angles in the left and right frame angle fields >
press K4 to select OK.
The caster measurement will now read correct. Please note
that cross caster measurement will remain the same.

Figure 8

Vehicle ride height and symmetry measurement/Set back are very important when diagnosing vehicle suspension
or drifting/pulling concerns. To include these measurement in the alignment summary select K3 > Make Additional
Measurement and scroll down to select these measurements.

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© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
Axle symmetry measurements/ set back are displayed in angles. For easier understanding it is best to have the
measurements displayed in distances. Follow the procedures below to measure axle symmetry and display the
measurements in distances.

After selecting “Make Additional Measurements”, scroll
down and select > Symmetry Measurements/ Set Back >
Press K4 for OK.

Figure 9

Center the front wheels as shown on the monitor. > Press K4
for Ready.

Figure 10

Page 11 of 23
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
The axle symmetry/ set back will be displayed in angles. To
show angles as Distances > Press K2.
Enter the Rim Width
16” = 6.5”
17” = 7”
18” = 8”

Figure 11

Ensure that the correct box is checked depending on the
type of wheel clamp spade that is used > Press K4 for OK.

Figure 12

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© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
Steer the wheels straight ahead as instructed > Press K4 for
Ready.

Figure 13

Track and wheelbase screen is displayed > Press K4 for
OK.

Figure 14

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© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
The axle symmetry measurement/ set back will now display
in distances. Press K3 to print the alignment summary
page.

Figure 15

SECTION 2. Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI), vehicle drift/pull concerns
If it has been determined that a vehicle has a significant drift/pull on the PDI test drive, test drive a like vehicle on
the same route to compare the drift. If the drift is similar, no further repair is necessary. If it has been determined
that the drift is excessive compared to the like vehicle, perform an alignment check, and open a Volkswagen
Technical Assistance (VTA) ticket, with the alignment measurements attached, and contact the Volkswagen
Technical Helpline at 800-678-2389.

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© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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
SECTION 3. Customer concerns for vehicle drift/pull
Vehicle drift/pull diagnosis