This is not accurate. Both manual and autos have the shaft, and both have the same bearing. I was told that the IMS bearing retrofit would be slightly more for a tiptronic transmission.

I buried myself in IMS research when I found bits of plastic debris in my oil sump a couple of months ago. I am not a mechanic, but I had been eating/sleeping/breathing IMS for almost three weeks.

Good luck, sorry to post off topic.

 

^ now you've got me all paranoid! i just did an oil change and didnt find any debris.. is there a way for me to check my IMS?

 

Stay calm, brother.

Its supposedly a small number that have been effected by an IMS failure.
And supposedly a smaller number that have a tip trans that have had a failure, but you are not immune to it, as you would be with a turbo or gt2 or gt3. Sorry.

Its true that when it fails, it fails suddenly and the repair bill will most likely be big.

But its a small number. If I were you I would enjoy your car. If the anxiety continues, consider getting the upgrade from L & N. Figure about $2K.

But try not to worry. I am enjoying my car (6 spd, 65K miles) and when I can swing it, I will get the upgrade.

 

trans has to come out to really check, at by that point, you should just put a IMS upgrade (retrofit) in since you have paid all the labor to pull your trans out.

Stay calm.

You can do the following in the meantime: have your mechanic listen to your engine with a stethascope (sp) to check for unusual noise.

At your next oil change, either you or your mechanic can cut apart your filter to see if there are any strange objects in there.

And at your next oil change, either you or your mechanic can send your oil out for analysis. http://www.blackstone-labs.com

But ultimately, try to enjoy your car and know its a small number of failures out there.

I hope this helps.