VW Golf GTI Mk6
Discussion
Hi there Pistonheaders, I'd appreciate your advice on a couple of MK6 Golf GTI related questions. I've owned a black '59 reg'd example for a week now - drove it 40 miles back from the dealer as the annual policy begins on 26 February (next Wednesday), saving £70 on the annual premium.
Anyway, the ride and handling are both really well sorted and the engine is a peach - effervescent, tractable and sonorous when extended.
I understand that on start up the exhaust makes a parp and this seems to be a characteristic. Another trait which is only apparent when accelerating from 50 and beyond is what sounds like a resonance/boom/blowing from beneath the car - it only happens when accelerating from this speed and the engine is under load. Is that also a characteristic? I can't determine if it's supposed to sound like this or an engine/exhaust part needs to be replaced. Any advice and thoughts are welcome.
Secondly, I filled it up with £30 of Esso Super Unltd' and the trip read only 100 miles to empty (it was on zero before) - granted it had been sitting unused in a car park for four months and used only for short test drives in very congested traffic but still. The journey back was 40 miles and it's now showing 110 to empty which is an indicated 30 mpg. That seems bizarre as the trip read a varying 42 - 45 mpg on the way back at middling motorway speeds and it used only one segment of fuel. Is it normal for there to be an initial low reading if the car's been sitting unused for a while and would it take longer than 40 miles for the trip to reflect a higher total mileage till empty? It seems to be running fine but I expected the distance to empty to reflect the 42 mpg within 10-20 miles. Does it take a lot longer? Given the meagre one segment of fuel used I'm hoping to get 30 mpg at least in urban driving and 40-45 on a run. Is this realistic? Owner experiences are welcomed.
Some more info: the car's done just short of 119,000 miles and has been serviced annually. It has four nearly new (1 mm used) General Altimax Sport tyres too. Research uncovered that Altimax is a Continental owned brand - they share the same press office after all. Any experiences with this rubber? They seem the full ticket. While there is no record of a timing chain and associated parts being replaced one of the servicing garages has confirmed it was done at around 55,000 miles in 2014. How can I check this on the engine and surely, after this mileage and time it must have been replaced. Is the turbo also likely to have been replaced by now.
The handling and ride are really immersive and it seems to offer around 20% more compliance than Scirocco in the adaptive dampers' sport mode but still delivers smiles a plenty in normal.
Look forward to hearing your thoughts,
Best wishes,
Josh
Anyway, the ride and handling are both really well sorted and the engine is a peach - effervescent, tractable and sonorous when extended.
I understand that on start up the exhaust makes a parp and this seems to be a characteristic. Another trait which is only apparent when accelerating from 50 and beyond is what sounds like a resonance/boom/blowing from beneath the car - it only happens when accelerating from this speed and the engine is under load. Is that also a characteristic? I can't determine if it's supposed to sound like this or an engine/exhaust part needs to be replaced. Any advice and thoughts are welcome.
Secondly, I filled it up with £30 of Esso Super Unltd' and the trip read only 100 miles to empty (it was on zero before) - granted it had been sitting unused in a car park for four months and used only for short test drives in very congested traffic but still. The journey back was 40 miles and it's now showing 110 to empty which is an indicated 30 mpg. That seems bizarre as the trip read a varying 42 - 45 mpg on the way back at middling motorway speeds and it used only one segment of fuel. Is it normal for there to be an initial low reading if the car's been sitting unused for a while and would it take longer than 40 miles for the trip to reflect a higher total mileage till empty? It seems to be running fine but I expected the distance to empty to reflect the 42 mpg within 10-20 miles. Does it take a lot longer? Given the meagre one segment of fuel used I'm hoping to get 30 mpg at least in urban driving and 40-45 on a run. Is this realistic? Owner experiences are welcomed.
Some more info: the car's done just short of 119,000 miles and has been serviced annually. It has four nearly new (1 mm used) General Altimax Sport tyres too. Research uncovered that Altimax is a Continental owned brand - they share the same press office after all. Any experiences with this rubber? They seem the full ticket. While there is no record of a timing chain and associated parts being replaced one of the servicing garages has confirmed it was done at around 55,000 miles in 2014. How can I check this on the engine and surely, after this mileage and time it must have been replaced. Is the turbo also likely to have been replaced by now.
The handling and ride are really immersive and it seems to offer around 20% more compliance than Scirocco in the adaptive dampers' sport mode but still delivers smiles a plenty in normal.
Look forward to hearing your thoughts,
Best wishes,
Josh
Hi Josh, fellow mk6 GTI owner here.
The noise your experiencing I cannot say mine does the same, albeit I have a standard car
The timing chain, I’d get at the very least the tensioner checked to see if it has the latest revision of the tensioner fitted. I had the complete chains and tensioner replaced in August last year at VW with the latest revised parts for peace of mind as it was rattling.
The noise your experiencing I cannot say mine does the same, albeit I have a standard car
The timing chain, I’d get at the very least the tensioner checked to see if it has the latest revision of the tensioner fitted. I had the complete chains and tensioner replaced in August last year at VW with the latest revised parts for peace of mind as it was rattling.
Hi Martin,
Thanks for the response. The noise is present under load but only when accelerating from 50 mph and above in a high gear. Can you offer some suggestions of what it could be?
I can't here any indication at low or high speeds that there is a chain or tensioner issue. How can I check which version it has?
What were the warning signs you experienced and what mileage and age did it happen at. Finally please can you confirm thoughts on the miles to empty thing? It was filled with Esso super but I wonder if that offers poorer economy.
Let me know what you get urban and on runs please.
Thanks,
Josh
Thanks for the response. The noise is present under load but only when accelerating from 50 mph and above in a high gear. Can you offer some suggestions of what it could be?
I can't here any indication at low or high speeds that there is a chain or tensioner issue. How can I check which version it has?
What were the warning signs you experienced and what mileage and age did it happen at. Finally please can you confirm thoughts on the miles to empty thing? It was filled with Esso super but I wonder if that offers poorer economy.
Let me know what you get urban and on runs please.
Thanks,
Josh
Thanks for the responses guys. I'm really looking for some more detailed info. from people that know or have owned these cars so please feel free to elaborate with detail.
I reset the trip several times during the 40 mile mostly motorway journey where the speed was 60-70 mph. By the time I had returned home it was showing 40 miles covered and 110 to go to empty. At the time of filling up (when it was on zero) the distance to empty said 100, so it did find another 50 miles which brings the economy from an initial read of 20 to 30 mpg. I imagine it takes longer than a 40 mile journey for the distance to empty to recalibrate even if the instant readout is varying between 42 and 45 mpg.
Thoughts please? It didn't sound like anything was wrong and it was running really smoothly other than the exhaust resonance under load at motorway speeds when decelerating and then increasing speed again. It was last serviced in June last year (2,600 miles) but was sat on in the independent trader's car park for several months.
Interested in responses to all the questions I've asked. It's a really nice car (so complete) and I'm intending to keep it for 2 years plus.
I reset the trip several times during the 40 mile mostly motorway journey where the speed was 60-70 mph. By the time I had returned home it was showing 40 miles covered and 110 to go to empty. At the time of filling up (when it was on zero) the distance to empty said 100, so it did find another 50 miles which brings the economy from an initial read of 20 to 30 mpg. I imagine it takes longer than a 40 mile journey for the distance to empty to recalibrate even if the instant readout is varying between 42 and 45 mpg.
Thoughts please? It didn't sound like anything was wrong and it was running really smoothly other than the exhaust resonance under load at motorway speeds when decelerating and then increasing speed again. It was last serviced in June last year (2,600 miles) but was sat on in the independent trader's car park for several months.
Interested in responses to all the questions I've asked. It's a really nice car (so complete) and I'm intending to keep it for 2 years plus.
First of all we need pictures!
Get under the car and check the exhaust. It may be a leak or have been changed.
With the MPG I would brim the tank then reset the computer and leave it. If it’s been sitting round it will need time to calibrate. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, the miles until empty and average MPG was pretty accurate on my old MK6 Tdi.
Remember that there are settings for both journey 1 which is that journey and resets automatically. and journey 2 which is overall which is reset manually. It’s easy to get them confused.
And with the miles to empty it will creep up the more miles you do especially on the motorway.
Engine cold = not economical.
Engine warm when sat at 60 = economical.
My Volvo D4 can start a journey at 100 miles to empty, do 80 miles, then finish with 100 miles.
And yes use super unleaded. Whenever I gave on previous petrols, you do see a few extra miles out the tank to see the benefit on the increase cost.
With the tensioner I would ask the original garage if they have any records with part numbers. If not I’d consider that it didn’t happen. Then get it checked by a reputable independent. TBH at that mileage I would be getting it done if the car is being kept for a few years.
On that note get the sump dropped and clean out the strainer. It will be gunked up. I had an S3 last year of the same vintage. Serviced every 8k and the strainer was half blocked with hoop and of course bits of dipstick guide tube.
Get under the car and check the exhaust. It may be a leak or have been changed.
With the MPG I would brim the tank then reset the computer and leave it. If it’s been sitting round it will need time to calibrate. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, the miles until empty and average MPG was pretty accurate on my old MK6 Tdi.
Remember that there are settings for both journey 1 which is that journey and resets automatically. and journey 2 which is overall which is reset manually. It’s easy to get them confused.
And with the miles to empty it will creep up the more miles you do especially on the motorway.
Engine cold = not economical.
Engine warm when sat at 60 = economical.
My Volvo D4 can start a journey at 100 miles to empty, do 80 miles, then finish with 100 miles.
And yes use super unleaded. Whenever I gave on previous petrols, you do see a few extra miles out the tank to see the benefit on the increase cost.
With the tensioner I would ask the original garage if they have any records with part numbers. If not I’d consider that it didn’t happen. Then get it checked by a reputable independent. TBH at that mileage I would be getting it done if the car is being kept for a few years.
On that note get the sump dropped and clean out the strainer. It will be gunked up. I had an S3 last year of the same vintage. Serviced every 8k and the strainer was half blocked with hoop and of course bits of dipstick guide tube.
Edited by paultownsend on Sunday 23 February 08:52
Thanks for the responses and advice guys 
When it's insured from Wednesday I'll take some pics. I do believe the garage that said it was done as they were so detailed in their account and had serviced the car several times before and done the MOT every year. Nonetheless I will ask an independent to check for me. Is this something that with a little cajoling and politeness they could do at no charge and what exactly should I ask them to look for?
Please advise what mileages and ages you need to get the tensioner and chain replaced. Remember my car is 10 years old and has done 119,000 miles now. Good points re: mpg and I think it will be fine. Am aware of the two trips and both were reading very similar figures in the early - mid 40s. It's possible to reset those but not the mileage to empty. It was last serviced in June '19 2,600 miles ago so I will likely get it serviced this winter. Is that ok do you think? At that time I'll request that the sump is cleaned and dropped
Thanks,
Josh
When it's insured from Wednesday I'll take some pics. I do believe the garage that said it was done as they were so detailed in their account and had serviced the car several times before and done the MOT every year. Nonetheless I will ask an independent to check for me. Is this something that with a little cajoling and politeness they could do at no charge and what exactly should I ask them to look for?
Please advise what mileages and ages you need to get the tensioner and chain replaced. Remember my car is 10 years old and has done 119,000 miles now. Good points re: mpg and I think it will be fine. Am aware of the two trips and both were reading very similar figures in the early - mid 40s. It's possible to reset those but not the mileage to empty. It was last serviced in June '19 2,600 miles ago so I will likely get it serviced this winter. Is that ok do you think? At that time I'll request that the sump is cleaned and dropped
Thanks,
Josh
I will do. Is VCDS a different device to a standard fault code scanner? I'm taking it to an independent garage on Wednesday. As I'm registered disabled with PTSD, agoraphobia and anxiety they've kindly agree to do the checks at no cost. How can they check to see which version the tensioner is?
Thanks,
Josh
Thanks,
Josh
Thanks for providing those details guys. Any further thoughts re: the exhaust sound? I really hope the independent can diagnose it and confirm if it's a front, middle or rear exhaust section or indeed another part. The sound isn't loud but is present under load when accelerating lightly from 50 mph in 6th gear.
jsr123 said:
Thanks for providing those details guys. Any further thoughts re: the exhaust sound? I really hope the independent can diagnose it and confirm if it's a front, middle or rear exhaust section or indeed another part. The sound isn't loud but is present under load when accelerating lightly from 50 mph in 6th gear.
Perhaps it had an aftermarket exhaust on, and owner put original back on, but not properly?No worries either way - a good independent garage should be able to tell quite quickly once it’s on the ramps.
Although there's relatively little wear, other than some superficial rust, it looks like the original exhaust. It's very doubtful that the previous owner fitted an aftermarket option and refitted the original prior to sale. They're a couple in their 50s-60s and purchased it at 22,000 miles (October 2011) before part - exing at a large dealer group in Exeter in October '19.
jsr123 said:
Thanks for providing those details guys. Any further thoughts re: the exhaust sound? I really hope the independent can diagnose it and confirm if it's a front, middle or rear exhaust section or indeed another part. The sound isn't loud but is present under load when accelerating lightly from 50 mph in 6th gear.
Crawl underneath with the engine running. Put your hands near the exhaust. You will feel puffs of air from the leak. Not possible to diagnose over the internet and not necessary to go to a garage.As mentioned in the first thread one of the car's servicing garages confirmed that they replaced the tensioner, chain and inlet manifold circa 55k in 2014 but there is no paperwork to prove this. Nonetheless they've confirmed they'll tell the next keeper the same when I sell the car in several years.
Tomorrow the indy has kindly agreed to check the tensioner for me at no cost. How can they also check the diverter valve in the process? There are no signs the tensioner or chain needs replacing but how would I know if the diverter does?
Thanks,
Josh
Tomorrow the indy has kindly agreed to check the tensioner for me at no cost. How can they also check the diverter valve in the process? There are no signs the tensioner or chain needs replacing but how would I know if the diverter does?
Thanks,
Josh
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