My first German: Mk5 Golf GTI
Discussion
At the weekend I replaced the third brake light as I'd noticed it wasn't working. Ah, the famous MK5 GTI third brake light. For a car which is essentially a family hatchback, a couple of the maintenance costs are the sort of eye watering sums usually only reserved for more esoteric mid-engined stuff. If you aren’t familiar with the appalling design flaw that is the GTI’s third brake light, let me enlighten you (pun fully intended).
The third brake light is housed in the underside of the boot spoiler and needs removing from its perch in order to change. No problem, you might think, the fixings must be easily accessible? First mistake. The screws which hold the light fixture in place can only be accessed by removing the spoiler entirely. Ok then, we’ll take the spoiler off. The fixings must be on the underside of the boot lid? Second mistake. You can spend all the time you want looking for the spoiler’s fixings, but you won’t find them. Because there aren’t any. The entire spoiler is bonded onto the car, and removing it means the rather brutal act of ripping it off the boot lid.
What VW would like you to do when your brake light needs changed is bring the car to the dealer so they can prise the spoiler off the car, swap out the light fixture and then re-bond the spoiler, plus touch up any paint they’ve inevitably damaged in the process. They will then ask you to empty your wallet to the tune of anywhere from £400-500. To replace a brake light.
Fortunately car communities are excellent at discovering methods for repairs which are quicker, cheaper and just as effective as the “official” procedure, and any GTI forum worth its salt will have a third brake light replacement thread. All you need is a new brake light unit (costs from £35-50) and tools.
The method is pretty straightforward and should only be a 45 minute job. Please note this is only a rough summary and not a comprehensive guide!
- Firstly drill a pilot hole in the front of the old light casing (I used a dremel for accuracy as it’s relatively easy to skip and damage your paint).
- Then, using a pick/flathead screwdriver/trim removal tool, break off the outer plastic for access to the LED strip.
- The LED strip is then removed , leaving only the black plastic rear casing.
- The rear casing is held in place by two screws and a clip on the rear. Pulling the casing down will disengage the clip and the plastic is malleable enough that, with some wiggling and bending, it can be pulled over the screws.
- The screws can be removed and binned.
- Next is the fiddly part. Remove the rubber grommet holding the wiring in place and pull forward to reveal the retaining clip. This can only be pulled forward until it is just proud of the spoiler, so be careful not to pull it too far as it is fairly delicate.
- Unplug this and bin the old fixture. Plug the new one in
- Test the new light actually works before going any further
- Feed the wiring back into the spoiler, and get the grommet into position. This can be tricky as it’s a tight area and you will need a torch to have any hope of seeing what you’re doing. I used a pick for removing and replacing the grommet.
- Once the grommet is securely in place, tuck the excess cable into the remaining space and push the new light fixture into position. It will snap into place and should feel every bit as secure as the previous one, even minus the two screws.
Job done! You’ve just saved yourself several hundred pounds and stuck two fingers up to VW’s poorly thought out design.
The third brake light is housed in the underside of the boot spoiler and needs removing from its perch in order to change. No problem, you might think, the fixings must be easily accessible? First mistake. The screws which hold the light fixture in place can only be accessed by removing the spoiler entirely. Ok then, we’ll take the spoiler off. The fixings must be on the underside of the boot lid? Second mistake. You can spend all the time you want looking for the spoiler’s fixings, but you won’t find them. Because there aren’t any. The entire spoiler is bonded onto the car, and removing it means the rather brutal act of ripping it off the boot lid.
What VW would like you to do when your brake light needs changed is bring the car to the dealer so they can prise the spoiler off the car, swap out the light fixture and then re-bond the spoiler, plus touch up any paint they’ve inevitably damaged in the process. They will then ask you to empty your wallet to the tune of anywhere from £400-500. To replace a brake light.
Fortunately car communities are excellent at discovering methods for repairs which are quicker, cheaper and just as effective as the “official” procedure, and any GTI forum worth its salt will have a third brake light replacement thread. All you need is a new brake light unit (costs from £35-50) and tools.
The method is pretty straightforward and should only be a 45 minute job. Please note this is only a rough summary and not a comprehensive guide!
- Firstly drill a pilot hole in the front of the old light casing (I used a dremel for accuracy as it’s relatively easy to skip and damage your paint).
- Then, using a pick/flathead screwdriver/trim removal tool, break off the outer plastic for access to the LED strip.
- The LED strip is then removed , leaving only the black plastic rear casing.
- The rear casing is held in place by two screws and a clip on the rear. Pulling the casing down will disengage the clip and the plastic is malleable enough that, with some wiggling and bending, it can be pulled over the screws.
- The screws can be removed and binned.
- Next is the fiddly part. Remove the rubber grommet holding the wiring in place and pull forward to reveal the retaining clip. This can only be pulled forward until it is just proud of the spoiler, so be careful not to pull it too far as it is fairly delicate.
- Unplug this and bin the old fixture. Plug the new one in
- Test the new light actually works before going any further
- Feed the wiring back into the spoiler, and get the grommet into position. This can be tricky as it’s a tight area and you will need a torch to have any hope of seeing what you’re doing. I used a pick for removing and replacing the grommet.
- Once the grommet is securely in place, tuck the excess cable into the remaining space and push the new light fixture into position. It will snap into place and should feel every bit as secure as the previous one, even minus the two screws.
Job done! You’ve just saved yourself several hundred pounds and stuck two fingers up to VW’s poorly thought out design.
Nice car, enjoyed reading through the thread.
Xenons would be high on my priority list and IMO good tyres points to a good car more often than not, so looks like you've done well. You also did well to avoid that deer, I've badly damaged two front wings from deer contact, while someone I used to work with and a real battle not to get their Mk5 GTI written off from a deer hit.
Happy motoring
Xenons would be high on my priority list and IMO good tyres points to a good car more often than not, so looks like you've done well. You also did well to avoid that deer, I've badly damaged two front wings from deer contact, while someone I used to work with and a real battle not to get their Mk5 GTI written off from a deer hit.
Happy motoring
whytheory said:
Nice car, enjoyed reading through the thread.
Xenons would be high on my priority list and IMO good tyres points to a good car more often than not, so looks like you've done well. You also did well to avoid that deer, I've badly damaged two front wings from deer contact, while someone I used to work with and a real battle not to get their Mk5 GTI written off from a deer hit.
Happy motoring
My Mk5 GTI (http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1417725) had Xenons.Xenons would be high on my priority list and IMO good tyres points to a good car more often than not, so looks like you've done well. You also did well to avoid that deer, I've badly damaged two front wings from deer contact, while someone I used to work with and a real battle not to get their Mk5 GTI written off from a deer hit.
Happy motoring
Best headlights I've ever had. My Scirocco Xenons are like candles in jamjars in comparison.
OP. nice car.
Have you changed the common failure parts.
Cam follower (easy to do and £40)
PCV valve (easy to do and £40)
Diverter valve (easy to do and £40...!)
If the cam follower breaks you need a new camshaft.
PCV valve failure isn't end of the world but can cause puffs of blue smoke
Diverter valve can cause a loss of power. They feel flat as standard but a failed one makes it worse (replace with a revision G).
I would recommend running on Shell 99 only, even as standard it feels a bit peppier. It helps economy as well. I got 500 miles from a tank.
These engines are very tunable for not much money, and depending on how far you want to go you can get up to 300bhp. I would go to R-tech Performance in Hinkley/Leics.
I would recommend an intake system (Revo intake system), dropping the down pipe off (4 bolts) and smash out the pre-cat. (Ensure you smash the pre-cat out facing down so chunks of it don't drop into the main cat)
Pre-cat delete does not effect emissions, will still pass MOT but improves the performance because the pre-cat is right next to the turbo so quite a big restriction.
That will see you 250-255bhp or so and about 330ft lb of torque, being ko3 turbo it spools so quickly so will be a monster on the road.
If you spend another £400 on a fuel pump, Audi S3 8P alloy intercooler, decat/sports cat and 155bar FRV you can get close to 300.
xjay1337 said:
My Mk5 GTI (http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1417725) had Xenons.
Best headlights I've ever had. My Scirocco Xenons are like candles in jamjars in comparison.
OP. nice car.
Have you changed the common failure parts.
Cam follower (easy to do and £40)
PCV valve (easy to do and £40)
Diverter valve (easy to do and £40...!)
If the cam follower breaks you need a new camshaft.
PCV valve failure isn't end of the world but can cause puffs of blue smoke
Diverter valve can cause a loss of power. They feel flat as standard but a failed one makes it worse (replace with a revision G).
I would recommend running on Shell 99 only, even as standard it feels a bit peppier. It helps economy as well. I got 500 miles from a tank.
These engines are very tunable for not much money, and depending on how far you want to go you can get up to 300bhp. I would go to R-tech Performance in Hinkley/Leics.
I would recommend an intake system (Revo intake system), dropping the down pipe off (4 bolts) and smash out the pre-cat. (Ensure you smash the pre-cat out facing down so chunks of it don't drop into the main cat)
Pre-cat delete does not effect emissions, will still pass MOT but improves the performance because the pre-cat is right next to the turbo so quite a big restriction.
That will see you 250-255bhp or so and about 330ft lb of torque, being ko3 turbo it spools so quickly so will be a monster on the road.
If you spend another £400 on a fuel pump, Audi S3 8P alloy intercooler, decat/sports cat and 155bar FRV you can get close to 300.
500 miles to a tank Best headlights I've ever had. My Scirocco Xenons are like candles in jamjars in comparison.
OP. nice car.
Have you changed the common failure parts.
Cam follower (easy to do and £40)
PCV valve (easy to do and £40)
Diverter valve (easy to do and £40...!)
If the cam follower breaks you need a new camshaft.
PCV valve failure isn't end of the world but can cause puffs of blue smoke
Diverter valve can cause a loss of power. They feel flat as standard but a failed one makes it worse (replace with a revision G).
I would recommend running on Shell 99 only, even as standard it feels a bit peppier. It helps economy as well. I got 500 miles from a tank.
These engines are very tunable for not much money, and depending on how far you want to go you can get up to 300bhp. I would go to R-tech Performance in Hinkley/Leics.
I would recommend an intake system (Revo intake system), dropping the down pipe off (4 bolts) and smash out the pre-cat. (Ensure you smash the pre-cat out facing down so chunks of it don't drop into the main cat)
Pre-cat delete does not effect emissions, will still pass MOT but improves the performance because the pre-cat is right next to the turbo so quite a big restriction.
That will see you 250-255bhp or so and about 330ft lb of torque, being ko3 turbo it spools so quickly so will be a monster on the road.
If you spend another £400 on a fuel pump, Audi S3 8P alloy intercooler, decat/sports cat and 155bar FRV you can get close to 300.
I had a mk6 GTi for 2 years and averaged around 27-30mpg overall and usually did 280-330 ish miles to a tank. Don't think I ever once got 400, let alone 500!
Well I did.
483 miles to be precise.
I had indicated 15 miles of range remaining. I was also stuck in ste traffic for a solid hour reducing the range further. (I had driven to Mancester and back in the same day).
My friend has a Scirocco 2.0 TSI which is basically the same engine as in your MK6 and he regularly gets 40mpg on his commute to work (motorway).
483 miles to be precise.
I had indicated 15 miles of range remaining. I was also stuck in ste traffic for a solid hour reducing the range further. (I had driven to Mancester and back in the same day).
My friend has a Scirocco 2.0 TSI which is basically the same engine as in your MK6 and he regularly gets 40mpg on his commute to work (motorway).
xjay1337 said:
Well I did.
483 miles to be precise.
I had indicated 15 miles of range remaining. I was also stuck in ste traffic for a solid hour reducing the range further. (I had driven to Mancester and back in the same day).
My friend has a Scirocco 2.0 TSI which is basically the same engine as in your MK6 and he regularly gets 40mpg on his commute to work (motorway).
Fair play. We must be opposite ends of the driving spectrum! I wish I had got 40 mpg on my commute 483 miles to be precise.
I had indicated 15 miles of range remaining. I was also stuck in ste traffic for a solid hour reducing the range further. (I had driven to Mancester and back in the same day).
My friend has a Scirocco 2.0 TSI which is basically the same engine as in your MK6 and he regularly gets 40mpg on his commute to work (motorway).
I just about get 40 as an average in a diesel A3 haha.
Sorry to go OT OP, it's a great car, I miss my old GTi a lot.
chrisb92 said:
Fair play. We must be opposite ends of the driving spectrum! I wish I had got 40 mpg on my commute
I just about get 40 as an average in a diesel A3 haha.
Sorry to go OT OP, it's a great car, I miss my old GTi a lot.
I suppose so, but on the motorway i tend to just whack the cruise on at 70 and enjoy the tunes. I have a 255bhp scirocco tdi and i have to be driving like a complete bell end to get 40mpg average lol.I just about get 40 as an average in a diesel A3 haha.
Sorry to go OT OP, it's a great car, I miss my old GTi a lot.
Even with plenty of hoons and what not U average around 44.
On the motorway i get around 50 in this colder weather with poop diesel lol.
xjay1337 said:
I suppose so, but on the motorway i tend to just whack the cruise on at 70 and enjoy the tunes. I have a 255bhp scirocco tdi and i have to be driving like a complete bell end to get 40mpg average lol.
Even with plenty of hoons and what not U average around 44.
On the motorway i get around 50 in this colder weather with poop diesel lol.
Since I bought the car in July I average 40.2 MPG. Regularly get 30's. Only tend to get into the 40's when on a long motorway cruise. With a good hooning 35-40 is max. Perhaps our ideas of a hoon differ.Even with plenty of hoons and what not U average around 44.
On the motorway i get around 50 in this colder weather with poop diesel lol.
It's a DSG and Quattro, so quite a heavy car, which may be why it's worse on fuel than your scirrocco. Also, I never sit at 70 haha.
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