How The VW 2.5L Vacuum Pump Fails ~ Video 

Dude…………DUDE!!!!!!!!!!! Got the seal kit on Amazon for $9.99. Only replaced the outer seal without removing the pump. All lights and problems are gone. You gave me the confidence to save myself thousands of dollars! Great video!

Wonderful info which is perfectly timed for me. I just bought a 2008 VW Rabbit 2.5 and when I changed the oil (another learning experience with the oil filter cartridge, but I digress....) I noticed how wet it was above the side of the engine/transmission connection. Rather than panic, I went to RU-vid and found this excellent diagnosis. Then I went to the top of the engine with a flashlight and sure enough, I could see the oil lines running from the screws which hold the plate onto the vacuum pump. Since I've already changed the engine air filter (another unique VW learning experience, sorry for digressing again...) I know how to get past the first challenge. The car has been taken care of by a very meticulous owner and I am very happy with its performance and quality which hide the fact that it has over 145K miles on it. Thanks again for the info. Time to order the gasket.

I know this video is old but man are you a money saver! I watched it once and went straight to work on my daughter’s ‘06 Jetta this morning. Only took a couple hours start to finish. Thanks!

Thank you soo much for this video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a manual 2.5 Jetta and the dealership just told me 1400 to replace the vacuum pump because they have to spend 7 hours removing the transmission to replace the pump. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I knew the guy at the dealership was being weird. Now I know why.

Great video!!! You don’t have to separate motor an trans. Simple way to get it out is to remove battery compartment an take shifter lever off. Slide the black plate out an the pump will slide out over on to the shift lever bolt an come straight up

Thanks for the videos. I have had a lot of VWs over the years, but hadn't had one in a while. Most of the cars I've worked on have been far older. It's great to have someone else's knowledge to short-cut diagnosis. I got my daughter a 2007 Rabbit and I've been doing a bunch of fixes of minor problems on hers. I found you while looking for a comprehensive video on replacing the door actuators. I recently replaced the hubs because of noisy and worn out bearings (seemingly another common fail point on these cars). Afterward I noticed that the car was leaking a fair amount of oil (unrelated to the work but that's just when I happened to notice it). I had noticed before that the oil leak seemed to be around the transmission end and assumed that it was likely a rear main seal. I am hoping you are right and that it is this pump. Hers is a manual transmission, so I'm pleased to learn it is easy to replace, too. Anyway, as someone else said, I would appreciate more videos on the 2.5l motor...common fail points, fixes, things to look for, etc. I actually went for the 2.5 instead of a GTI because I didn't want to worry about a turbo fail. I was hoping this motor would be more reliable...

More 2.5 videos please

not upset that you are 'fiddling' you know your business its respectful to us because you know what you are talking about thank you.

You are an excellent teacher! You could be a great auto shop teacher at a high school. Thanks so much for posting these wonderful videos.

This was unbelievably helpful, informative, interesting, and to the point. Great video.

Thanks for the detailed explanation. I'm sitting in the dealership getting this fixed on my 07 Jetta now. Its good to know why it fails and what exactly this costly repair involves. I second the thank god for extended warranties sentiment. Saved me over $600 bucks today.

Thanks for the video, I dropped the trans,auto, thinking it was a rear main, and after assembly I still found a leak. Thanks again for your videos.

Im slowly getting to know my way around mk5 and your videos hit the nail on the head thanks

Thank humble Mechanic, and your sponsors helps a lot.

Need to team up with Deutsche Auto for a DIY on this, at least for the manuals.

Charles, when to dealer for service and they said has a min leak, oil around gasket only. What do you recommend? Replacement or the delete option?, Car has 90k 2012.

Very informative video...thanks a lot! Not able to repair myself, dealership just quoted me $1,275 to repair...does this sound reasonable and should I look else were?

Yep we reseal them all day long with the black vw silicone. The white vw silicone sucks. Ive done atleast 50 reseals and only one has come back probraly due to it was one of the first ones i did and did allow proper drying time foe the silicone. But it works if you clean everything nice and just take your time. Pays good.

Hey first I want to say thanks, it great people help explain these things so much appreciated sincerely. I just had a dealer tell me I need to fix this leak, although I have no signs of it anywhere, they said if you don't it could lead to a very bad accident. Not sure about that, but I have no way of knowing and the price they wanted to repair was 1400$. What??? I was shocked. This is like transmission work prices.....

Very helpful! I am not a car expert...your explanation made sense and I now understand why my 2009 2.5 Jetta had this leak :)

Thanks for the video. I work at a Toyota dealer and got assigned a Jetta as a used car. It is leaking oil from the vacuum pump. Lucky me it is a 5 speed manual.

Please do a video on Brake booster failure and replacement. Thanks,. I love your videos.

Do these pumps have a check valve somewhere inside? On my Cayenne it's burning massive amounts of oil if I don't plug the vacuum pump from the rest of the vacuum system (oil being sucked from pump to intake)? Thanks for another great video!

I was quoted over $1k twice for this repair. I live in a city with no driveway and no tools and little experience. Currently, I'm on travel in WA state and after watching this video I looked up"vw expert in moses lake, wa" and Autometrics came up. I called in and they are VW experts. I dropped in and the head mechanic checked out my car, was really familiar with the issue and said that there's no way it's required to drop/move/disconnect the transmission. So, for me, the solution wasn't to DIY was to spend the couple hundred to let a professional get it right. Definitely worth it too as I am on a road trip and the car is losing oil pretty quickly (about an half court every 1000mi). With the money I saved, I went ahead and had them replace the dogbone bushing (common fail) and a few other things.

I have this issue massive oil leak.i already have a new pump and im getting ready to change it after seeing your DIY vid. Just one question? What kind of oil is it that leaks out of it?

A big thanks for your time and efforts in doing this video. Answered all the questions I had with the oil leak on my 06 Jetta.

Great video, thank you! Can you do a video on replacing the combi valve and secondary air pump?

I did mine today, it was a royal pain for me since i am no mechanic but a shade tree with a few sockets and thats it. I followed the how to video. Took me several hours and a sore back. I have a automatic so the worst part was after i replaced the gaskets trying to get that pump lined back up in the right spot, pretty frustrating it took me multiple times to line back in the cam shaft in that tight spot.

I opted to go this route instead of spending the $200 for a whole new pump. On a 2008 Beetle w/ Manual, I was able to get to it while in car. Put some shop towels under to catch the little bit of oil in there, popped the outer cover, cleaned surfaces well, installed new seal and buttoned everything back up. Cleaned up that area of the engine and will keep an eye out over the next few weeks to see if that leak is still present.

You must have been reading my mind, I was curious as to what failed on these. I noticed on my 2.5 that every oil change there is a little bit of oil coming from the pump. Not bad enough to get on the driveway yet so I'm holding off till then. Luckily I have the manual so replacement looks easy.

hey, you are the best in vw's. i have a 2006 vw jetta 2.5 L 5 cylinder manual .can you show us why pressing the clutch the gear shifter does go in gear.when turn car off ,the shifter would find gear. then start car and it would drive.but try getting in to another gear depress clutch it would'nt go.

So is the actual failure with the shaft allowing oil into the vacuum cavity then? Or is there supposed to be some oil in there and the seal just isn't doing it's job?

Yes my 2009 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 had this problem I had oil leaking all over the automatic transmission. I remove the four bolts on the metal cover use some high temperature gasket maker silicone. I've been driving it for a few thousand Miles now without an issue brake pedal also works fine.

Awesome video as always.

Subscribed. You explained my situation with it being rear main seal vs vacuum pump. Have drops on bottom of vacuum pump so will start there first. Thanks!

great video, after car sat for 2 weeks , brake pedal was going to the floor, looked and now it's leaking, so im assuming i have to change vacum pump. no leaks detected anywhere else in brake system.

my wifes 2009 jetta with 2.5 is leaking from this pump, dealer keeps reminded her that its leaking oil and they will replace for 1,150 dollars, they are crazy, should be a recall and not fall on owners hands if problem is very common, dealer only had the back medal gasket, looking for the front gasket? was going to try to use black rtv on the front cover and hope it stops leak. keep up the great videos....travis

Excellent video! I am assuming the new updated pump eliminated the leaking issue?

My rabbit is leaking like a sive. I bought the seals alone on Amazon! Wish me luck

If the pump has failed, will replacing the seals fix the problem? Or is the pump irreparable at that point?

my wife's 2012 Beetle was just diagnosed with leaking vacuum pump. Thank god it's a model with the manual transmission..:-))

Hi there! Nice video man, I think Im about to have that problem, since my Jetta 2.5 was leaking oil from that part, this started after the service done, even the oil light flashed at times... I tried a fix and seems it worked.. Since it's a vacum Pump I removed the oil cap with the engine running for about 5 minutes, then turned it off. After that no more leaking and the oil light hasn't flash... Hope this helps and if it does not work now I know how to fix this, Thanks bud!

First of all thank you, great tips. I have one question; do I need to see oil inside the unit right after opening the front plate? Or has to be dry!? I have stripped 3 o’clock bolt and don’t wanna bother with it if the front gasket is all that I need.

Great video! Not exactly sure wich part of the pump failed first on my 07 Rabbit. 3 months after replacing the seals (and no leaks) I was pulling into a parking spot and was greeted with a hard brake pedal and the strong smell of motor oil. After getting out and seeing the large puddle of oil I assumed a seal went bad (really bad) again. Turns out there was indeed a blown seal but that was just the result of the serious carnage I found inside. The 2 metal ears on either side of the black plastic plate had broke free from the shaft. Didn't hear it happen. This dented the front cover and blew the seal. Time for a delete kit.

Hey Humblemechanic you know if that comment earlier about the vacuum pump. I had a question for you. On the same vehicle 2009 Jetta 2.5 l is throwing two codes. The first one stored is a P2178 rich off idle code, the second one set P0491 secondary air injection Bank 1 insufficient flow. Just wondering if you had any vehicles come in with these type of codes in any cures for them. I had a few others with the EVAP and other systems turned out to be some freed wires near the back of the vehicle also replaced the secondary air pump with an aftermarket changed the inline pressure sensor from the secondary air pump put in upstream O2 sensor put in evap valve and EGR replacement diaphragm. But these two codes just won't go away. the other thing I was figuring on doing is I did have a random this fire on cylinder 5 thought I would pull spark plug make sure it wasn't fouled out MMA check fuel pressure to make sure I don't have a leaky injector. Any help would be awesome thank you.

Charles, great video as ever, I have a VW LT 35(Like a Mercedes Sprinter) here in the UK and wonder if this pump is fitted to my 5 cylinder 2.5 VW AGX diesel engine...is it fitted to all VW 2.5 5 cylinder motors? TIA.

Hi humbleMechanic. Thank you for the video. I just came out of the VW dealership and they told me I have a vacuum pump leak and its $1300. I have a 2009 Jetta automatic transmission which I have always taken to dealership for any fixes. However, given the fact that this is more expensive, I was wondering if this is a job that a regular mechanic ( not a VW shop) can actually do and hopefully charge a little less. I appreciate your input, even though I am no car expert at all, when I have an issue with it I like to research about it to see how it all works. Your videos have always been helpful!

Is the jetta 2.5 the same build as a 2013 Passat ? Needing to replace my gf’s vac pump, I assume it is the same

Hey there, informative video :) I just had a smog test which had ZERO information from this pump...it eventually passed the smog test but im curious why there would be no information and no CEL? perplexed

Hi I have a question for you , I have a leak in a VW Jetta 2.5 , it is possible that the leakage is causing the automatic transmission working poor. It is possible to seal it? What would be the best sealer for that. Thanks in advance and keep up your good work

I have a lot of oil in my charge pipe on my BHW 2.0 TDI. Could that be from my vacuum pump? I know my pump is different than the pump in this video so I'm hoping my oil accumulation is from the pump and not a bad turbo seal.

What’s this part connected to? The hose facing the front on mine just cracked. What’s that whole hose part called?

Is this very common on the 2.0T? Is it relatively easy to replace on the 2.0T FSI with manual trans? I think mine is leaking, I've been having idle problems for a little while and today I lost power brakes - they eventually came back though.

Hello, and thanks for the videos. I have a 2013 Jetta 2.5 and I bought the car with 75k miles, the car is great but recently I have been having problems with the brakes, it gets stiff when you pump the brakes. In the video you mention that the purpose of the pump is to create vacuum for the brakes only. Is is safe to say that I should check the red seal of the pump and reseal it if necessary..!? Thanks in advance..!!!

My brake pedal do not return , i change the master cilinder and still not return, i am about to change the buster but i just see your video about the pump and i wondering if have to do something with my issue.

Thanks for the video! I have a 2011 Golf 2.5l and the dealership said my vacuum pump is just starting to leak. I previously messed with the brakes with my obdeleven (just from the apps nothing further) and I heard you said something about the brakes in the video. Could that be the cause? Specially that you mentioned not seeing as much Golfs leaking as other models. Your response would help a lot and I can send as much more details as needed! Thank youu.

Assuming I didn't misunderstand... You said they shouldn't merely replace the rubber seal (due to being a sealed unit)? Before I stumbled across your video, I found it leaking thinking it was the rear main and realized it matched the error code for vac pump. With a manual it was stupid easy to change the gasket without even removing the pump (replaced with a slightly oversized one) and no more leak. I've still got a few small engine codes but am wondering now if changing the gasket is now contributing.

Great video and how things work.Been having issues with my braking wheres after 3 presses of the brakes they went solid , so the mechanic i took it to assured me it was the brake booster which he replaced but this made things worse as now i have a really solid brake and i really have to put weight on it to work , the car does stop but with effort ,he said it most likely the Vacuum pump as well so ended up paying double labour for him to put my old brake servo back in and now im looking for another garage but hoping if i spend money again it is the vacuum pump which will solve my issues , do you think i should replace the brake servo and vacuum pump at same time as well? , car only has 165.000 which is not allot for a diesel .

Have a 2013 buick regal turbo and my pierburg vacuum pump part# 7.03097.02.0 07 is leaking oil and I have a engine light with p0299 underboost would the leaking cause the turbo not to build boost?

Our vacuum pump is leaking oil, how does this affect performance, how long can you keep driving, before it becomes a real problem.

Just did a vacuum pump delete, vacuum comes from intake to the brake booster now. Brakes finally feel 100% for the first time since I can remember!

Does this pump make noise (knocking. Hot or cold and doesn't sounds like it coming from the chain area)? And would it cause my Audi A4 B7 2.0T misfire in cylinder 3 when could?

I have three questions: 1) Is there supposed to be motor oil inside the vacuum pump? 2) If there is supposed to be motor oil inside the vacuum pump, and I have a slight leak on the flat wall side of the pump, does that mean that the pump still works and a simple gasket change will fix the issue? 3) Should there be a marking on the inside of the flat wall hinting of metal to metal rubbing?

Hey. Is the vacuum pump linked with the camshaft in any way? Just had a top end engine rebuild on my crafter. The diagnosis was worn camshaft and failed vacuum pump. Looking through the history of the van, the vacuum pump was replaced only 4 years ago. I'm suspicious because the van isn't high mileage and it's been very well looked after. The tapping noise in the engine started days after having the cambelt and water pump changed.

Looking at that pump first as you mention from above could save someone a boatload of money considering how laborious a rear main seal change would be. It is nice that there is a way to change that pump without pulling the transmission which would be almost as bad as changing that rear main seal. I know that the rear main seal is very expensive to repair just because of the labor costs.

Thank very much for the video! Very informative....educational even. This helped my gauge if it was within my skill to do it myself on my 2011 Golf (and I don't think it is if the transmission has to come out! Hahaha) You're great...I'll refer your videos and site to friends!

Hi Is possible that a non attended vaccum pump oil leak can clog with oil gum the ckp reluctor or the ckp itself to the point it no longer reads accurately? My 06 jetta has p0315 code ,already fixed the oil leak,noticed when working on it that oil could reach sip trough an inspection port on top of the transmission cover,so i guess it may be the culprit.

Do they ever make noise? I sometimes hear a noise at random interval that sounds like tapping on plastic coming from the vacuum pump area. Depressing the clutch has no affect on it so I don't think it's from the clutch or trans.

I have a 2006 Beetle Convertible and have noticed a black box mounted to the top of the trunk interior on the driver side. What is that black box?

Curious, what are the downsides to deleting this? I did the delete a long time ago and never had issues.

This may be a stupid question sorry in advance.. If I add a bead of silicone to reseal do you suggest I take the original rubber seal off and start fresh with the silicone or add the silicone on top of the seal? Btw thanks for your videos they help out a lot..

Hey, great video with perfect explanation. But here is my question. It sounds like the leaking problem goes away then everything OK with the pump. Then replacing the rubber gasket under the cap should do the job? Then why don't they sell the rubber gasket only instead of whole unit? It should be a lot easier replacing the gasket only, Am I right?

Thanks for explaining how this part leaks. I needed to know exactly what's going on with my '08 Rabbit...my dealer told me that the vacuum pump is leaking oil into the belly pan and needs replaced, and it's going to be around $550+tax. I'm checking with a local auto mechanic that works mainly on Audis and VWs to see if his price might be any better, and I told him what the dealer told me. Local guy said he could only think of two things causing this kind of leak - the brake vacuum pump or the oil filter stand. Is the brake vacuum pump the same thing as what you've discussed here or is a different part completely? Thanks! Great video! Looking forward to watching more! Subscribed!!

I've seen gasket repair kits, but couldn't you use feeling chemical gasket as a plus? Just wondering your thoughts.

Hey bro i need your help. I resealed my vac pump on my 2010 vw cc 2.0t and after putting back together my break pedal is hard. Once i rev it up it gets soft but without gas it gets hard. Can u point me in the right direction.? Do i need to replace the pump? Booster?

You mention it's easy on a manual transmission. Just move a wire harness out of the way. Am I looking at this from a top down, or bottom up route? VW quoted $750 to replace it for me. Am I pulling the battery and pulling it out that way?

Definitely helpful!

Hi i took my car to do an oil change at the dealership they mentioned the vacuum pump is leaking oil does this need to get fixed right away or its something u could wait for later on.

I was just told by the dealership mechanic that my vaccum pump has failed. While I’ve watched your other video on replacing the pump, my question is I also am having a battery drain. Usually around 5-7 days. They didn’t confirm whether this failed pump is what’s draining my battery. It was brand new. Can anyone tell me if this is a potential effect of the failed pump or another issue?

I have a 2013 Passat SE and the small plate inside the vacuum pump failed and it did exactly what you said the brake was hard

Thank you for this very useful video.

I used a blockoff plate from integrated engineering and ran the break booster to my intake manifold. Aftermarket for the win!

Would this cause leaking gasket cause hesitatio, rough idle when hitting gas to accelerate? I have an error code for Purge valve, Vacuum, and air loss. Replaced purge valve, and did a throttle body clean but still have an issue where Jetta seems to want to almost knock off when I get on the gas too hard. Was going to do the fuel filter next and some have told me a new gas cap as well...because I oddly also got a gas cap light about a month ago. Main symptom is car seems to be stuttering for air and almost cutting off, but no shifting issues or pedal pressure changes. I do have the oil leak as explained on here, but symptoms sound different. Ideas?

I had just this repair now a month later I need to get my struts and shocks replace now I don't know anything about cars so it will be helpful if you will let me know if maybe these two things are connected to each other ?

I replaced my break booster and master cylinder, got new break , flush or whatever it’s call the break fluid it was running good for 5 months and now a have a really hard break petal and the breaks are sticking , could the vacuum pump be the problem ?

I bought a 09 TDI Sportwagon where the oil pump hex shaft rounded off and the oil pressure gave out. The car had been driven back home, lost power from the turbo and the brakes gave out. They had replaced the hex shaft but still no brakes or boost from the turbo. I took the vacuum pump apart and there was nothing but plastic powder left. I assume that it failed obviously because there was no oil in the vacuum pump.

Is there a device which regulates the vacuum supply? Is it possible to have too much vacuum? I got a car in that the brakes were hanging up. Disconnecting the vacuum line to the booster released the brakes. I replaced the booster and it all worked well. A couple months later the car is back with NO brakes and a rock hard pedal. The booster is sucking vacuum through the master cylinder. I can feel vacuum in the brake fluid reservoir and the fluid is very low. The master cylinder was not leaking when the booster was replaced. A vacuum gauge reads about 26-27 inches Hg of vacuum when attached to the booster line with the engine running. Seems like a lot. Definitely more than a gas engine normally produces on it's own. I dont know if it is supposed to be that high or not and I cannot find a specification.

Could this cause Air Suction from the Oil Dipstick tube?

My VW Jetta SE says it's a 2008 on the registration. But the VIN says it's an 09. Is the vacuum pump the same for either year just in case?

Hello! Where can I get the original spare part from the vacuum pump? In Mexico they sell the complete pump.

Hello! Thanks a ton for you videos and help! I have a 2007 Jetta with the 2.5. throwing lean bank code as well as random misfires. I've replaced all the spark plugs and the coil packs. Pcv valve seems ok as I do not have any codes related and the oil cap comes off while running without the suction that's talked about. I know the vacuum pump is leaking oil but I'm wondering if that cold be the source of a vacuum leak causing the engine to run crappy? Sometimes, when it's warned up, it seems to run fine. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

what about the mk4's jetta's with automatic transmissions. They very often get the P1479 code for circuit open to brake vacuum pump. How do these fail and why?

Hello! Great video! I have a 2007 2.5 automatic Jetta and engine vacuum pump is leaking oil. Besides oil leaking, are there any other major potential consequences/effects for not replacing the pump? It feels like a waste of money (quoted $865) to just deal with an oil nuisance... Thanks! :)

Do you have video hot to change the whole 2.5 Jetta oil housing?

Is there a block off plate for this part? And if there is, how would that effect the braking or feel?

great video but you left out the booster check vale oil ring .i need to remove the check vale

Awesome videos man! Do you know what part number it Is for the transmission shift selector seal on the 2.5? Do you have a video on changing it?

Great video! About how long would it to replace? Thanks so much.

what year/ When was the 2.5 updated? I have. 2012 Passat 2.5 and which failures am I still prone to from these common issues.

I have a VW T5 TDI 174hp. I am finding my oil level rising. no coolant loss. very thin oil. No oil leak below tandem pump. Can diesel leak into the oil from a broken tandem pump seal on the shaft.