Inside Line: Meyle

Sven Nielsen, Technical Director from MEYLE, says the following difficulties may arise with the Volkswagen T2:

Defective or porous brake hoses

Problem:

Defective or porous brake hoses and the prevalent hygroscopic conditions may allow moisture to penetrate the brake system. This causes the brake fluid’s boiling point to fall, facilitating the formation of vapour bubbles in the brake system, which may cause the brakes to fail completely under strain. Brake hose ageing is another risk factor. The cross-section could become smaller by swelling or bigger by loss of stiffness; in both worst-case scenarios, the brake pressure in the hose could not be transported as usual to the brake caliper or brake cylinder. Once the pedal is pressed down it takes longer until the brakes react.

MEYLE solution:

Brake hoses are responsible for transporting brake fluid and thus maintaining pressure levels inside the brake system. They should be checked regularly for cracks and bulges. Meyle offers high-quality brake hoses for all established vehicle types and also supplies the mounting materials required for professional repairs.

Only a few drivers are aware that brake hoses should be replaced every four or five years, as the rubber and fittings frequently become brittle after a few years. If a brake hose falls out of a brake circuit, the second brake circuit is usually efficient enough to stop the vehicle. However, if both brake circuits fail, there is hopefully enough time for the driver to get the situation under control by using the engine or hand brake.
MEYLE also supplies complete brake hose sets to achieve optimum repair results. This saves workshops from having to place time-consuming separate orders of essential parts. The sets contain all the banjo screws and copper gaskets required for certain vehicle applications. MEYLE in-house engineers recommend the installation of new gaskets every time the brake hose is changed and, because they are so critical for vehicle safety, only to have them replaced by trained specialists.

Defective wheel bearings

Problem:

Loud metallic rolling noises are indicators of defective wheel bearings. Increased wheel bearing tolerances can also be diagnosed by tilting the wheel while the car is not under any strain. In order to prevent more serious damage or the complete loss of the wheel bearing, the driver should seek the assistance of a repair garage as soon as possible.

In the event of a defective wheel bearing, Meyle in-house engineers recommend to always also check the other axle bearings because it has to be presumed that all wheel bearings are exposed to the same stressors and are thus likely to have similar life spans.

MEYLE solution:

To be able to warrant optimum repair results, Meyle also keeps complete Meyle wheel bearing sets in stock. These kits contain all of the essential installation materials, e.g. locking nuts and screws, lock washer, lubricant grease and other components that are relevant for repairs. Hence, repair garages can forego time-consuming individual orders that would otherwise have to be issued for the necessary installation materials.

A proper professional installation of the wheel bearings and the wheel hubs in the axle stubs according to the manufacturer’s recommendations are also of crucial importance to get the maximum life span out of these components. Hence, the technical trainers from Meyle offer periodic seminars on the professional replacement of chassis components.

Worn out ball joints

Problem:

Ball joints fail prematurely due to heavy load and a high dynamic strain, especially a high surface pressure that wears on the tie rod end.

MEYLE solution:

The recommendation of MEYLE is while changing the ball joint also to check and replace other surrounding parts such as shock absorber, tie rods etc. of the axles. If the ball joint failed, other parts may also be worn out.