vinkodex.MQ200 / MQ250 manual gearbox: differential bearing and synchros
Typically above 50,000 km. It does not show up on every car.
expensive
severity
above 50,000 km
mileage
3
sources
3 sources next to the write-up.
The fault
How you spot it
The light, magnesium cased MQ200 and the MQ250, sized for higher torque, are the most widespread manual gearboxes in the transverse engine VAG models. Both have the same two weak points, and both depend on use.
The first is the differential bearing: as it wears you first get a droning, then a whine from the thrust bearings of the output shaft. Left alone, the planetary shaft can fail and in extreme cases punch through the gearbox casing: from then on it is not a repair but a replacement.
The second is the synchros: they can start crunching at around 50,000 km with aggressive driving. This type does not like dumping the clutch or slipping it, and on a used car that is exactly what you have to listen for.
Which model
Who it affects
The card opens the generation, the engine or the transmission.
Engines and transmissions
Transmission
MQ200
Transmission
MQ250
vinkodex.Checklist
MQ200 / MQ250 manual gearbox: differential bearing and synchros
What you would check for this fault. Take it to the car.
Before you buy
Checklist
What you tick stays on this device only.
Sources
How we know
GearBoxList.comGearbox Volkswagen MQ200: specifications, gear ratios, oilFive and six-speed manual transmissions VW MQ200 with indexes 02T and 0AJ have been produced since 1996 and are installed on many compact models of the
MechanicsTipsSound of gearbox bearing failure - VW MQ200 02TMechanics Tips! on Facebook Follow @MechanicsTips Don't Forget to support...
GearBoxList.comGearbox Volkswagen MQ250: specifications, gear ratios, oilFive and six-speed manual transmissions VW MQ250 with indexes 02R and 02S have been produced since 2003 and are installed on almost all models of the concern
Information, not an expert opinion
We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.
- A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
- A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
- You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.