My high-mileage, two-wheel-drive Golf R with a misfire
Discussion
I'd actually meant to post this thread 4 and a bit years ago, intending to keep it as a log (but I didn't). So to mark passing this morning the point at which mere plebians assume financial ruin is nigh:
Bought back in 2019 on ~56k I present to you my 2016 Golf R. It was bought with some faults, namely:
Just in case I still need a woosh parrot I was a nerdy luddite and insisted upon a manual, Performance pack car with tartan and a few toys. This one has Tech, Performance, and Parking packs, as well as Dynaudio and a few little bits. It's exactly the colour I didn't want but hey ho.
Recent photo looking the same as when purchased except with the addition of Clubsport S exhaust. The standard peashooters looked silly and this sounds marginally better. Engine is very effective, but sounds utterly unremarkable no matter what you do to it. VWR induction kit added too for subtle turbo noises.
I've put over 40k on it without major drama. Averages over 33MPG with mixed driving and playing (regular 95 RON), it's totally civilised on the motorway and a giggle on back roads. Parts are almost all inexpensive with upgraded bits often cheaper than boring VW stuff. Have added in my ownership a Sachs sport clutch, remap, Clubsport exhuast, DAP holy-shift, and better discs/pads (the performance pack brakes are very good anyway). Osram Xenarc headlamp bulbs too, the standard ones are junk, the Xenarcs appear to have been stolen from the floodlights at Wembley.
Only failures of any note were a leaking thermostat (they all do that sir), and leaking cam bridge wetting a plug and causing a misfire under boost. Other than that it's all routine service and maintenance items, and a few seat of Goodyears.
No plans to change it, and not sold on a MK8 so no idea what I would replace it with anyway. Nothing electric that does the same job quite as well either.
Keep looking at the MSS spring kit, and wondering about renewing dampers too with 100k on the originals.
TLDR: MK7 GTI is very good at doing exactly what it's intended to do.
Bought back in 2019 on ~56k I present to you my 2016 Golf R. It was bought with some faults, namely:
- Down on power at 230PS
- No torque going to rear axle
- DSG not working
- Two tailpipes missing
Just in case I still need a woosh parrot I was a nerdy luddite and insisted upon a manual, Performance pack car with tartan and a few toys. This one has Tech, Performance, and Parking packs, as well as Dynaudio and a few little bits. It's exactly the colour I didn't want but hey ho.
Recent photo looking the same as when purchased except with the addition of Clubsport S exhaust. The standard peashooters looked silly and this sounds marginally better. Engine is very effective, but sounds utterly unremarkable no matter what you do to it. VWR induction kit added too for subtle turbo noises.
I've put over 40k on it without major drama. Averages over 33MPG with mixed driving and playing (regular 95 RON), it's totally civilised on the motorway and a giggle on back roads. Parts are almost all inexpensive with upgraded bits often cheaper than boring VW stuff. Have added in my ownership a Sachs sport clutch, remap, Clubsport exhuast, DAP holy-shift, and better discs/pads (the performance pack brakes are very good anyway). Osram Xenarc headlamp bulbs too, the standard ones are junk, the Xenarcs appear to have been stolen from the floodlights at Wembley.
Only failures of any note were a leaking thermostat (they all do that sir), and leaking cam bridge wetting a plug and causing a misfire under boost. Other than that it's all routine service and maintenance items, and a few seat of Goodyears.
No plans to change it, and not sold on a MK8 so no idea what I would replace it with anyway. Nothing electric that does the same job quite as well either.
Keep looking at the MSS spring kit, and wondering about renewing dampers too with 100k on the originals.
TLDR: MK7 GTI is very good at doing exactly what it's intended to do.
GreatGranny said:
the ideal compromise between practical and fun with sensible running costs ( and room for the dog and occasional passenger).
It's very good at doing/being exactly that. The quality is pretty nice too, I've no discernable wear to seats or steering wheel, and the only rattle is a child seat.Bobupndown said:
What's the issue with the haldex? We have a Tiguan, currently a 2motion! Fault code suggests control module issue. Company on ebay refurbish them for £160, just getting time to have it off thr road to send the part to them is the issue because he's some distance away.
The issue is that the GTI doesn't have a Haldex unit. The OP was attempting humour.PHZero said:
Bobupndown said:
What's the issue with the haldex? We have a Tiguan, currently a 2motion! Fault code suggests control module issue. Company on ebay refurbish them for £160, just getting time to have it off thr road to send the part to them is the issue because he's some distance away.
The issue is that the GTI doesn't have a Haldex unit. The OP was attempting humour.Nice car though I do like them, but why call it a golf r…
alec.e said:
PHZero said:
Bobupndown said:
What's the issue with the haldex? We have a Tiguan, currently a 2motion! Fault code suggests control module issue. Company on ebay refurbish them for £160, just getting time to have it off thr road to send the part to them is the issue because he's some distance away.
The issue is that the GTI doesn't have a Haldex unit. The OP was attempting humour.Nice car though I do like them, but why call it a golf r…
ChevronB19 said:
Dr G said:
...because "why not buy an R" is a common question. I was being ironic 
If it helps, I got it!alec.e said:
alec.e said:
PHZero said:
Bobupndown said:
What's the issue with the haldex? We have a Tiguan, currently a 2motion! Fault code suggests control module issue. Company on ebay refurbish them for £160, just getting time to have it off thr road to send the part to them is the issue because he's some distance away.
The issue is that the GTI doesn't have a Haldex unit. The OP was attempting humour.Nice car though I do like them, but why call it a golf r…
Saw Golf R and 2wd. Didn't study the pictures enough to note that it wasn't!
Car has just been deposited at workshop along with a pile of stuff:
I was determind to practice some BSSBMW style knolling with the above, but yeah. Lazy. You can look at the boxes instead.
I'm the oddball who wants to make my car "better" without lowering it, without making it look different in any way, without spending a fortune, without harming NVH, without making wife/children complain. Basically I can't use any of the cr4p that people usually bolt onto a GTI under the illusion of making it faster.
Luckily I'm not quite the only oddball who wants to do this, and there are a few around with similar goals. This thread provided the motivation to make changes I've been thinking about for ages:
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/r...
Koni produce a range of dampers (for standard height springs) called Special Active, with Bypass valves to iron out day to day jiggly stuff, but firmer damping for higher loads (turning, braking). They're in and about the same money as standard dampers, but I waited for a silly offer on Autodoc and got them very keenly:
For a mass-produced quasi-sensible car VW did a pretty good job on the compromise of performance and usability, but there is more roll than I'd like on turn-in. Pitched into a higher speed turn the car needs just a moment to settle itself and let you know what it wants to do. High-ish mileage on all-original suspension probably exacerbates this. Near 8 year old car with 105k that's never had a stick of suspension work. Only just in the 2nd half of this year started to develop the slightest of noises from front top mounts. Fair play VW.
This bit's a little more subjective: neutralising the "feel" of the handling. Whilst understeer simply isn't an issue at road speeds, and agility is reasonably good (not Renault sport good) there's room for improvement. When pushed the car rolls a bit, and through your bum it's clear the front wheels are making 80% of the effort. My tyre wear backs this up. The internet suggests a good first-step is to remove some of the roll at the rear axle, and the standard rear roll bar looks remarkably like a strand of spaghetti. I could probably bend it with my bare hands*
Extra thanks to Ryan at Whiteline who is a very nice man and didn't laugh at me for not reading the information clearly provided on their website. This was a new product not due until mid-January, but they did already supply it as a "whole car" kit. They broke a kit for me and sent it straight out. No additional charge. No delay. Didn't ask, they just did it and got the order to me the following day. Once I've got a feel for it with this on I'll make a call on adding their front bar too. Some say it's transformative, some say they're happy with just the back. The front is a slight pain to do as well, with installation needing the front subframe dropping. Not a decision I need to make today.
The other uninteresting things in the TPS crate (TPS crates are infinitely useful and basically indestructible, if ever you have the opportunity to steal some I highly suggest you do) are new, standard VW bits.
-Top mounts and bearings
-Pinch bolts
-Rear damper mounts
-Rear roll bar links
Mine were all fine, but "while you're in there". Don't especially want to pay to take it all apart again when something creaks.
Here is a (stolen) photo of a (stolen) TPS crate being a free engine stand:
Comes back on Thursday, then drive it round the block a few times before giving it to wheel alignment man.
By the time calendar says Friday I'll hopefully have a slightly pointer, sligthly less rolly, slightly more compliant Golf. With labour and VAT I think I'm in for a spend of ~£1400.
I was determind to practice some BSSBMW style knolling with the above, but yeah. Lazy. You can look at the boxes instead.
I'm the oddball who wants to make my car "better" without lowering it, without making it look different in any way, without spending a fortune, without harming NVH, without making wife/children complain. Basically I can't use any of the cr4p that people usually bolt onto a GTI under the illusion of making it faster.
Luckily I'm not quite the only oddball who wants to do this, and there are a few around with similar goals. This thread provided the motivation to make changes I've been thinking about for ages:
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/r...
Koni produce a range of dampers (for standard height springs) called Special Active, with Bypass valves to iron out day to day jiggly stuff, but firmer damping for higher loads (turning, braking). They're in and about the same money as standard dampers, but I waited for a silly offer on Autodoc and got them very keenly:
For a mass-produced quasi-sensible car VW did a pretty good job on the compromise of performance and usability, but there is more roll than I'd like on turn-in. Pitched into a higher speed turn the car needs just a moment to settle itself and let you know what it wants to do. High-ish mileage on all-original suspension probably exacerbates this. Near 8 year old car with 105k that's never had a stick of suspension work. Only just in the 2nd half of this year started to develop the slightest of noises from front top mounts. Fair play VW.
This bit's a little more subjective: neutralising the "feel" of the handling. Whilst understeer simply isn't an issue at road speeds, and agility is reasonably good (not Renault sport good) there's room for improvement. When pushed the car rolls a bit, and through your bum it's clear the front wheels are making 80% of the effort. My tyre wear backs this up. The internet suggests a good first-step is to remove some of the roll at the rear axle, and the standard rear roll bar looks remarkably like a strand of spaghetti. I could probably bend it with my bare hands*
- *I couldn't. I am no powerfully built blah blah PH cliche...
Extra thanks to Ryan at Whiteline who is a very nice man and didn't laugh at me for not reading the information clearly provided on their website. This was a new product not due until mid-January, but they did already supply it as a "whole car" kit. They broke a kit for me and sent it straight out. No additional charge. No delay. Didn't ask, they just did it and got the order to me the following day. Once I've got a feel for it with this on I'll make a call on adding their front bar too. Some say it's transformative, some say they're happy with just the back. The front is a slight pain to do as well, with installation needing the front subframe dropping. Not a decision I need to make today.
The other uninteresting things in the TPS crate (TPS crates are infinitely useful and basically indestructible, if ever you have the opportunity to steal some I highly suggest you do) are new, standard VW bits.
-Top mounts and bearings
-Pinch bolts
-Rear damper mounts
-Rear roll bar links
Mine were all fine, but "while you're in there". Don't especially want to pay to take it all apart again when something creaks.
Here is a (stolen) photo of a (stolen) TPS crate being a free engine stand:
Comes back on Thursday, then drive it round the block a few times before giving it to wheel alignment man.
By the time calendar says Friday I'll hopefully have a slightly pointer, sligthly less rolly, slightly more compliant Golf. With labour and VAT I think I'm in for a spend of ~£1400.
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