Hi,
I'm probably going to look at a Mk5 Golf 2.0 diesel 140PS (57 plate) this week and would appreciate some advice and answers to a couple of questions.
1. It has 18" wheels on it which I am not too sure about in terms of ride quality etc. Has anyone experienced them on this car?
2. I'd quite like cruise control fitted. Is this possible and any idea how much it would cost?
3. Is there anything I should look out for?!
Thanks for any replies!
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I had 18" alloys on our MK5 Gti a few years ago - it wasn't the softest ride in the world, but perfectly acceptable even on imperfect roads - test drive is the only route.
I read somewhere that the rear springs can be "weak" and this can lead to uneven and sudden tyre wear.
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If you want cruise control are you going to buy one with it fitted or are you thinking about retrofitting? If so this link re retrofitting to a Mk4 Golf might be interesting - or not!
tinyurl.com/dxtyarm
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I was under the impression that most modern fly-by-wire cars had cruise control already in the ECU but needed to have the 'stalk' attached and connected to work it.
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I believe that BMW have, in fact that what I was thinking about with the X1 the day the 3 Series came up, that has cruise.
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>> I was under the impression that most modern fly-by-wire cars had cruise control already in
>> the ECU but needed to have the 'stalk' attached and connected to work it.
>>
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Correct, plus plugging the car into the dealers computer to switch it on.
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TBH, if its on 18's, it is probably of high enough spec to have cruise as standard. Check it works though, as the switch can be a bit flakey from time to time - and easy fix with contact cleaner and a torx screwdriver.
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That's good to know about the wheels and springs, thanks. And yeah will definitely test drive it and see what I think as well.
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Thanks for the info about the cruise control all.
I dont think it is fitted so was after info about retro fitting it. After a bit of googling, I found vwcruise.com which quotes around £150 for fitting, depending on the age of the car. And from other replies it's fairly straightforward to do as well.
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>> Is there anything I should look out for?!
There are a few things you need to look out for on this engine
1. Oil pump drive failure (complete engine failure if this happens). It seems to have happened mostly with longitudinal mounted engines like the Passat, but I've heard it can affect the Golf too.
2. Injector failure. Although after speaking to a specialist the other day, it seems that VAG are finally doing a recall on these.
3. Porous cylinder head allowing coolant to mix with oil, although this is quite rare.
Try google on the above. The oil pump drive issue in particular has been a long drawn out battle between owners and VAG for compensation.
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Is there anything I should look out for?
Yes - watch your mirrors. As RP and I have mentioned here before, the Mk 5 Golf has absurdly tiny rear indicators, which become entirely invisible when the brake lights are on. As a result, it can sometimes be impossible to tell what the Golf in front is about to do, and this must increase the likelihood of rear-end collisions. Just be sure you always start to signal before you apply the brakes, so the driver behind at least gets a clue what you're up to.
Significantly, I think, the Golfs and Passats that had these confusing lights have been replaced with less sexy (if anything could be less sexy than a Passat it would have to be another Passat) but much clearer designs. I think VW realized they'd got this one wrong.
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My 2005 1.9TDiSE (ordered late 2004) had cruise as standard. My current car doesn't have cc - I very rarely miss it. the only times being in contra-flows in light traffic and when slogging across Germany.
I had a 2.0 TSi GolfV on 18" wheels as a courtesy car once; the noise the tyres kicked up was immediately noticeable (and would have been intolerable for my high mileage use).
The 6speed gearboxes had their problems, I believe; you could always chip a 1.9 - my car-share colleague's 2.0TDi didn't seem significantly smoother.
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The 2.0 TDI PD engine was a stopgap, to fulfil market demands for a 2.0 diesel, while VAG developed their new common rail diesel engines.
Although frugal and punchy, the 2.0 PD does not seem to have the inherent robustness of the 1.9 on which it is based, and does suffer from porous heads, injector failures ("next gen" items over the old 1.9 unit) and oil pump drive failures as mentioned above. Although slightly more powerful than the 1.9, it doesn't offer any real advantage in terms of refinement or smoothness.
Given the huge numbers these engines were installed in, across all the VAG brands, it is safe to say they are not all problematic, but I do know they can be a complete pain in the backside compared to the older 1.9 unit.
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Volkswagen Golf V - Buying advice, wheel size and cruise control - R.P.
