Big mileage log...
Discussion
I've harboured a thinly veiled lusting for the original Audi TT for quite some time but a series of life/practicality obstacles have prevented me taking me plunge over the years. We've got two 'more sensible' (...and a bit dull) cars on the go at the moment. A tidy Audi A4 S-Line TDi Estate and my wife's VW Beetle Cabriolet. Still awake?!
So, there I was killing a bit of time browsing the Classified's on Saturday morning and up she popped... A cheeky little 2002 1.8l TT Coupe, two previous owners and the all too alluring £2.5k asking price. Enough to catch my eye for sure (given I'm a self confessed tightwad!). My suspicion that the buyer sounded like they may be under pressure to sell proved accurate. Cut a long story short, a quick hop down the road, a thorough inspection of the paperwork, a long test drive and a cheeky - but successful £2k bid later and I'm the owner of said TT.
So, what's the catch? The title of this post kinda gives it away, eh? It's got a whopping 178k on the clock. Now, this really isn't my style. Whilst I don't have a big hang up on mileage I'm still not the type to go for a set of wheels within spitting distance of 100k. Still, it's got recently replaced cambelt, clutch, flywheel, the interior is in great shape, electrics all seem spot on, taxed to September until and there's no leaks from under the hood. Even my 8 year old twins fit snugly on the backseat.
I thought at 178k and £2k worth of gamble, it might make a relatively interesting blog for anyone else thinking about snaffling a bit of fun for buttons. If she holds together, I'll hopefully be able to give a few useful pointers. If not you can all say I told you so as she's wheeled off for scrap!
I've piled on another couple of hundred miles today having taken the family out for long runs around the Kent countryside ( with recovery firm's details tucked nicely in my back pocket, just in case. Gotta say, the TT purred all day long. Acceleration and general handling felt really sharp, there were no iffy sounds emanating from either the engine or anywhere else around the chassis/bodywork. Probably a false sense of security but today gave me the distinct impression we may have picked up a genuine bargain! A big hurdle approaching next week as it's up for an MOT. Nothing too worrying on last years advisory list bar a bit of corrosion on the rear suspension coil. I've got a trusted local garage handling the work for me so not expecting to have my pants whipped down. Time will tell.
So, there I was killing a bit of time browsing the Classified's on Saturday morning and up she popped... A cheeky little 2002 1.8l TT Coupe, two previous owners and the all too alluring £2.5k asking price. Enough to catch my eye for sure (given I'm a self confessed tightwad!). My suspicion that the buyer sounded like they may be under pressure to sell proved accurate. Cut a long story short, a quick hop down the road, a thorough inspection of the paperwork, a long test drive and a cheeky - but successful £2k bid later and I'm the owner of said TT.
So, what's the catch? The title of this post kinda gives it away, eh? It's got a whopping 178k on the clock. Now, this really isn't my style. Whilst I don't have a big hang up on mileage I'm still not the type to go for a set of wheels within spitting distance of 100k. Still, it's got recently replaced cambelt, clutch, flywheel, the interior is in great shape, electrics all seem spot on, taxed to September until and there's no leaks from under the hood. Even my 8 year old twins fit snugly on the backseat.
I thought at 178k and £2k worth of gamble, it might make a relatively interesting blog for anyone else thinking about snaffling a bit of fun for buttons. If she holds together, I'll hopefully be able to give a few useful pointers. If not you can all say I told you so as she's wheeled off for scrap!
I've piled on another couple of hundred miles today having taken the family out for long runs around the Kent countryside ( with recovery firm's details tucked nicely in my back pocket, just in case. Gotta say, the TT purred all day long. Acceleration and general handling felt really sharp, there were no iffy sounds emanating from either the engine or anywhere else around the chassis/bodywork. Probably a false sense of security but today gave me the distinct impression we may have picked up a genuine bargain! A big hurdle approaching next week as it's up for an MOT. Nothing too worrying on last years advisory list bar a bit of corrosion on the rear suspension coil. I've got a trusted local garage handling the work for me so not expecting to have my pants whipped down. Time will tell.
Cheers, guys.
I'm using it today for my cross-London commute (London/Kent Border to deepest Middlesex) to see how it behaves in heavy traffic. It certainly made the commute fun putting my new found vehicular nimbleness (compared to my A4 TDi Estate) to good use to steal the odd traffic 'flow' advantage.
Nothing unpleasant to note. Temperature never went above 90 degrees at standstill and spent most of the crawl sat nicely on 70. The 18 mile run made a minor dent on the full gauge but certainly inline with expectations and the 1.8 TT's standard approx 25-30mpg. That's in stark contrast to my 2005 RX-8 that ended up being sold a couple of years back. In that case the 36 mile round trip ensured I became firmly acquainted with the guys at the local petrol station. Once the novelty factored wore off, she definitely had to go even with more space in the back for my twins. I may of had a bit of a duffer (as the Mazda was also bought used...) but from experience to date, the TT is far more satisfying a proposition.
So, in conclusion, it's got me in to work... hopefully it'll get me home again!
I'm using it today for my cross-London commute (London/Kent Border to deepest Middlesex) to see how it behaves in heavy traffic. It certainly made the commute fun putting my new found vehicular nimbleness (compared to my A4 TDi Estate) to good use to steal the odd traffic 'flow' advantage.
Nothing unpleasant to note. Temperature never went above 90 degrees at standstill and spent most of the crawl sat nicely on 70. The 18 mile run made a minor dent on the full gauge but certainly inline with expectations and the 1.8 TT's standard approx 25-30mpg. That's in stark contrast to my 2005 RX-8 that ended up being sold a couple of years back. In that case the 36 mile round trip ensured I became firmly acquainted with the guys at the local petrol station. Once the novelty factored wore off, she definitely had to go even with more space in the back for my twins. I may of had a bit of a duffer (as the Mazda was also bought used...) but from experience to date, the TT is far more satisfying a proposition.
So, in conclusion, it's got me in to work... hopefully it'll get me home again!
Well, that didn't take long did it!? I managed to sneak out of the house this morning beating the missus to the TT keys and getting a few miles down the road without her even noticing her new station car had again become my new favourite commute livener! She ran like a dream all the way across from West Wickham to Teddington... Making a mockery of my paranoia over the high mileage.
A full working day later and it's home time... Just one snag, it appears the TT has developed a liking for the company car park. So much so that she's refusing to start. Five, six, seven goes at the ignition and she's firing, hitting 3000 rpm and then dying on her ass. I begin reaching for my jacket in the boot but convince myself to give her one last chance before she's dragged onto the back of a flat bed truck and driven back home with her tail between her legs. A good whiff of petrol lingers around the car... Something I grew used to with my regularly flooding RX-8 a couple of years back. One last turn of the key and..... She purrs back Ito life... The little tease! She cruised back home as effortlessly as she got there in the first place much to my delight/relief.
Now, I'm no mechanic but the fact I bought the car with the SERVICE! prompt showing gave me the sense something like this was lurking around the corner and I'm hopeful it's something trivial. Certainly planning for the worst and hoping for the best will likely keep me sane with this car. She'll be getting booked into our local garage as soon as the impending family holiday is out of the way.
A full working day later and it's home time... Just one snag, it appears the TT has developed a liking for the company car park. So much so that she's refusing to start. Five, six, seven goes at the ignition and she's firing, hitting 3000 rpm and then dying on her ass. I begin reaching for my jacket in the boot but convince myself to give her one last chance before she's dragged onto the back of a flat bed truck and driven back home with her tail between her legs. A good whiff of petrol lingers around the car... Something I grew used to with my regularly flooding RX-8 a couple of years back. One last turn of the key and..... She purrs back Ito life... The little tease! She cruised back home as effortlessly as she got there in the first place much to my delight/relief.
Now, I'm no mechanic but the fact I bought the car with the SERVICE! prompt showing gave me the sense something like this was lurking around the corner and I'm hopeful it's something trivial. Certainly planning for the worst and hoping for the best will likely keep me sane with this car. She'll be getting booked into our local garage as soon as the impending family holiday is out of the way.
OK so the car has sat on the drive at home all day today. I 'forgot' to leave the key at home for the good lady to have a spin... ;0) jumped in tonight, fired up first time and drove like a dream. I reminded myself of the tip my dad taught me when I got my very first car... and that the AA told me a few years back when the RX-8 flooded. "When parking up, always make sure you rev the engine and turn the ignition off at peak revs". Not sure I did this at work yesterday as I retrained my brain around diesel engines. As I said, a distinct whiff of petrol in the air... Could it have flooded?
I've decided to risk the TT on the 1hrs 45mins run to Thruxton on Sunday for the BTCC ( if you are going and you see a bald, fat lad in a 2002 silver TT, give me a holler! I've also got a run to Swindon Town FC for the League 1 play-offs versus Brentford on Sat plus the return leg on Monday so lots of motorway plus a cross London run... Although the stakes are higher for the footie and I'm not keen on risking a late arrival or missing the game altogether. One step at a time!
A week in and not a dull moment!
I've decided to risk the TT on the 1hrs 45mins run to Thruxton on Sunday for the BTCC ( if you are going and you see a bald, fat lad in a 2002 silver TT, give me a holler! I've also got a run to Swindon Town FC for the League 1 play-offs versus Brentford on Sat plus the return leg on Monday so lots of motorway plus a cross London run... Although the stakes are higher for the footie and I'm not keen on risking a late arrival or missing the game altogether. One step at a time!
A week in and not a dull moment!
hoegaardenruls said:
Just realised it could be a small world...if ICR means anything to you, it's likely our respective other halfs work beside each other..
Anyway, one thing I was going to ask is you've had a Vagcom scan run on the car? Not an expert by any means but happy to run a scan if it helps..
Aha! Small world indeed! The missus says Hi!Anyway, one thing I was going to ask is you've had a Vagcom scan run on the car? Not an expert by any means but happy to run a scan if it helps..
A scan would be amazing if you wouldn't mind, chap! Although I don't think my garage has ever stitched me, I'm sure they will see me coming a mile off when I rock up in this... And cue the long list of 'must fix' jobs...!! Would be goo to get a few insights up my sleeve in advance.
Dr G said:
Revving the engine before turning it off? Hmmm, strange. No need to do this.
If you or the garage are giving the car a look over/diagnostic pay particular attention to suspension bushes and springs; they are all prone to excessive wear and make the cars handle horribly.
Do you know when the diff oil was last changed? Does it whine at all?
I know I'm waffling on about things that have nothing to do with your starting problem, simply trying to suggest a few areas of preventative maintenance
You could probably tell me anything and I'd be impressed! Nothing like a good automotive wives tale then, eh?!If you or the garage are giving the car a look over/diagnostic pay particular attention to suspension bushes and springs; they are all prone to excessive wear and make the cars handle horribly.
Do you know when the diff oil was last changed? Does it whine at all?
I know I'm waffling on about things that have nothing to do with your starting problem, simply trying to suggest a few areas of preventative maintenance
Thanks for the pointers. Not waffle at all. Really interesting to note. I'm sure it's going to require a new fuel pump or something obvious to solve the starting issue. It's only happened the once so confidence is growing again...!
No whining or odd noises of any type to report. No rattles even. One of the main reasons I snaffled it.
Loving tho car overall... And not too embarrassed to admit I've just spent the last half an hour inside wiping grubby marks witha damp cloth! Some call it infatuation... Some say lust... I'm pretty sure it's love!
Edited by safehandsgk1 on Friday 3rd May 20:04
I just purchased a VAG Com scanner of my own. No idea how to use it yet but quite like the idea of ore-empting any nonsense at the garage and keeping the inside track on my new found enthusiasm. So, will it be a proverbial bucket full of holes or a true bargain. If the scanner works we'll soon find out.
Steep learning curve ahoy!!
Steep learning curve ahoy!!
Couldn't resist it afterall. After a good bit of deliberating over my bran flakes today I decided the TT had to make the 250mile round trip to sunny Swindon for the big match. As mentioned, confidence took a bit of a hammering this week after the non-start incident on Thursday and with such a massive match potentially at risk, this was a big leap of faith. I shouldn't have been worried. She drove like an absolute dream.
A sticky start from M25 J6 to the M4 turn-off due to a massive wave of rubber neckers near Cobham. Cheered up by overtaking a lovely Ferrari and a truly beautiful Morgan... Much to my Son's delight. Funny seeing the drivers reactions to his BIG double thumbs up!
Once on the M4 it was plain sailing so foot down, cruise control on, sit back, relax try and banish any thoughts of an extended stay on the hard shoulder and enjoy the run to Wiltshire. A lovely run it was too. The engine purred all the way there and back. The only casualty was some plastic trim at the tip of my dipstick which crumbled away as I checked the levels prior to heading back. Fuel economy was spot on, oil hasn't dipped a bit (so fingers crossed no leaks) and still nothing to report in terms of unsettling rattles, knocking or humming... Apart from when my son tuned us into Magic FM... The godless heathen!
It makes it's second decent sized run since picking her up tomorrow with Thruxton beckoning early in the morning. The whole family is joining in the fun for this run so it'll be interesting seeing how she fairs wit a full load.
Confidence now very much restored after today's worthwhile gamble. It feels like every drive gets better and better!
A sticky start from M25 J6 to the M4 turn-off due to a massive wave of rubber neckers near Cobham. Cheered up by overtaking a lovely Ferrari and a truly beautiful Morgan... Much to my Son's delight. Funny seeing the drivers reactions to his BIG double thumbs up!
Once on the M4 it was plain sailing so foot down, cruise control on, sit back, relax try and banish any thoughts of an extended stay on the hard shoulder and enjoy the run to Wiltshire. A lovely run it was too. The engine purred all the way there and back. The only casualty was some plastic trim at the tip of my dipstick which crumbled away as I checked the levels prior to heading back. Fuel economy was spot on, oil hasn't dipped a bit (so fingers crossed no leaks) and still nothing to report in terms of unsettling rattles, knocking or humming... Apart from when my son tuned us into Magic FM... The godless heathen!
It makes it's second decent sized run since picking her up tomorrow with Thruxton beckoning early in the morning. The whole family is joining in the fun for this run so it'll be interesting seeing how she fairs wit a full load.
Confidence now very much restored after today's worthwhile gamble. It feels like every drive gets better and better!
Another decent trip in the old girl nailed today. A lovely run around a deserted early morning M25-M3-A232 to Thruxton for the BTCC. Once again we blasted it all the way there and back with not a single whiff of a problem. Although this time the whole family were tucked up nicely alongside me. OK so we're not exactly the Go-likeleys (Beadle's About, anybody!?) but I was still keen to understand how she'd deliver with the extra weight in the front and on the back bench. To be fair, I hardly noticed! She made light work of the back roads of Biggin Hill and Woldingham on the way down to the M25 Junction 6. The more rural, skinny and winding lanes are strewn with loose pebbles and debris so I thought we'd give it a crack with the ESP turned off. OK so I wasn't exactly giving it the Sebastian Loeb treatment but the more 'rustic' performance was great fun on a quiet Sunday morning. More evidence that this could be the best £2k I've ever spent.
Absolutely nothing to report on the negative side. Fluid levels all good, still no funny noises and general performance that was full-blooded and gutsy for. 1.8l engine.
A few cosmetic jobs on the list though. The air con definitely needs regassing and the 6-disk CD changer doesn't work. As someone that swears by the god of CD, my iPod/iTrip isn't going to scratch that itch!
She's had - one hiccup aside - a very impressive first full week. Going to treat her now mucky and bug spatttered highness with a full, early morning valet tomorrow. All things considered, she's definitely worth more than a Tesco £2 basic wash! Looking forward to running my hands over her lines first ting tomorrow...!
Absolutely nothing to report on the negative side. Fluid levels all good, still no funny noises and general performance that was full-blooded and gutsy for. 1.8l engine.
A few cosmetic jobs on the list though. The air con definitely needs regassing and the 6-disk CD changer doesn't work. As someone that swears by the god of CD, my iPod/iTrip isn't going to scratch that itch!
She's had - one hiccup aside - a very impressive first full week. Going to treat her now mucky and bug spatttered highness with a full, early morning valet tomorrow. All things considered, she's definitely worth more than a Tesco £2 basic wash! Looking forward to running my hands over her lines first ting tomorrow...!
Edited by safehandsgk1 on Sunday 5th May 23:16
A cracking weekends driving in the TT. Plenty more mileage back on the clock and not a sniff of a problem.
VAG Com scanner turned up tonight . Duly plugged in and scanned all four menus. The Engine had one DTC coded 17978. Funnily enough this links through to the starting issue I experienced last week. Apparently it's immobiliser related and the likely symptoms completely matched the starting and selling issues experienced last week. Given I've not experienced the issue since and managed to pile on a good bit of mileage, I've erased the problem and will continue taking the risk in the hope that giving the car a good run has seen off the problem. The scanner certainly feels like mone well spent! To be fair, a coupe of grand for the car I was seriously expecting a ton of DTCs so to find just one and it appears to be immobiliser related as opposed to any serious mechanical issues was a massive surprise!
Replaced the wipers as well today... but who cares about that eh?! Still, I promised I'd record every penny spent on her for the sake of calculating whether I've got my money's worth! So far we're £40 in and - touch wood - in pretty good shape!
VAG Com scanner turned up tonight . Duly plugged in and scanned all four menus. The Engine had one DTC coded 17978. Funnily enough this links through to the starting issue I experienced last week. Apparently it's immobiliser related and the likely symptoms completely matched the starting and selling issues experienced last week. Given I've not experienced the issue since and managed to pile on a good bit of mileage, I've erased the problem and will continue taking the risk in the hope that giving the car a good run has seen off the problem. The scanner certainly feels like mone well spent! To be fair, a coupe of grand for the car I was seriously expecting a ton of DTCs so to find just one and it appears to be immobiliser related as opposed to any serious mechanical issues was a massive surprise!
Replaced the wipers as well today... but who cares about that eh?! Still, I promised I'd record every penny spent on her for the sake of calculating whether I've got my money's worth! So far we're £40 in and - touch wood - in pretty good shape!
Thanks, bud. I understood your description just fine and actually think you are spot on. I do indeed recall adjusting the steering wheel last week just before I experienced the starting problems. Needless to say I'll not be doing that again!
As mentioned last night, VAG com didn't register any further problems so combined with her performance over the last week confidence has been well and truly restored. Fingers crossed for the future...!
As mentioned last night, VAG com didn't register any further problems so combined with her performance over the last week confidence has been well and truly restored. Fingers crossed for the future...!
Dr G said:
Let a girl drive a MK1 TT and you'll come back to it with the seat so high the headliner messes up your haircut and the heated seat on full blast on a 30 degree day. Aircon will also likely be set to 'low' with all the vents closed and the fan speed on minimum.
The missus finally wrestled the key off me this morning. "You're burning through the money by not using the A4 diesel..." were the words ringing in my ears! Sadly for me, she'll be having all the fun today.Your post cracked me up!
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