GTI MKV, buying, what to look out for?

[DEKAY]

G'day,

Im looking to buy a Golf GTI in the near future and need some pointers/advice on what to look out for when buying second hand. Being a total GTI newbie i feel that i have a lot to learn in terms of how these cars tick.

What should i look out for when inspecting a Golf GTI, what breaks down the most, any common noises i should listen out for etc.

Im not 100% sure which is better, manual or auto/DSG and would like some quick opinions on which is the better box.

I am seeing a fair few high KM 2005/06 model GTIs for low to mid 20s. Some with and without options. What goes wrong after 100k+ and what should of been serviced? My other concern for high kms is how well do these transmissions hold out over time? In the end should i pay more for lower kms?

lastly i do plan on modifying the GTI, although not immediately. How do parts, servicability and modifications go for these.. i will be taking this car down the strip in the future.

I did read through the international section of this forum but would rather some local advice from here.

Cheers in advance,

DeKay

 

[macad]

There's a second hand MKV buying guide in the latest Aust Top Gear mag.

 

[triode12]

Always better to buy a late model car (08/09) and purchase VW extended warranty for it.

If common problems like PCV ,DV and exhaust sensor failures crop up, they are covered.

I'd recommended paying StateRoads, European Autotech, VW Village or Muller to do a full vehicle check/diagnostics of the car you wish to buy to make sure it hasn't been in any accidents or have electrical gremlins (another common issue).

Otherwise, rattles are common for the MkVs and are part of its character.

 

[DEKAY]

There's a second hand MKV buying guide in the latest Aust Top Gear mag.

:bow: i cant believe i missed this article, im subscribed to this magazine haha. thanks!

Always better to buy a late model car (08/09) and purchase VW extended warranty for it.

If common problems like PCV ,DV and exhaust sensor failures crop up, they are covered.

I'd recommended paying StateRoads, European Autotech, VW Village or Muller to do a full vehicle check/diagnostics of the car you wish to buy to make sure it hasn't been in any accidents or have electrical gremlins (another common issue).

Otherwise, rattles are common for the MkVs and are part of its character.

Thanks for the tips, i never heard of autohatch or vw village before so i will definitely get the car checked out with them before i buy.

coming from a ford, pcv, o2 sensors etc seems like a common thing to replace so ill make sure i look into the log books on that one.

can anyone answer me the transmission questions? im most concerned with the durability of the manual at higher kms.

i dont think i will be able to afford a 2008/09 GTI hence me looking at 05/06 ers, but if they are beginning to break down often then i may reconsider.

thanks for the help so far guys.

 

[thefullarchie]

I recently sold my 07 GTI with 45000km for $25K, was a MT 3 door with cloth, but still, you should find some low-ish KM cars in that price bracket.

Agree on the warranty though, see if you can get one just inside the 3 year mark.


Edit: now driving a DSG, love the transmission, especially in the cities.

 

[macad]

If you get an 05/06 with a factory Sat Nav you'll get the high line instrument display which is much nicer than the mid line one - make sure it's well serviced and got all the stamps!

 

[jesse085]

can anyone answer me the transmission questions? im most concerned with the durability of the manual at higher kms.
.

I have an 06 mkv gti 6spd manual with 115k and the gearbox and clutch still feel extremely tight and like new, I am confident both will last at least another 100-200k. The clutch is still the original so it may need replacing before 200k but only time will really tell.

If your worried about which tranny to get and your looking at cars with 100k+ with little/ no warranty I would go the Manual, its the main reason why I chose the manual. I know it should be trouble free and its much cheaper to maintain then the dsg box.

 

[DEKAY]

I recently sold my 07 GTI with 45000km for $25K, was a MT 3 door with cloth, but still, you should find some low-ish KM cars in that price bracket.

Agree on the warranty though, see if you can get one just inside the 3 year mark.


Edit: now driving a DSG, love the transmission, especially in the cities.

that is a very good price, did you allow it to be bargained down? Im wondering how much these cars are 'truly' worth as im seeing a lot of cars with much higher kms say 80k to 100+ and few years older than that for high 20s to 30s. Im seeing a few dealers advert these cars expecting you to pay through the nose.

ill try to find warranty but i dont know whether i will be lucky enough to get it for the money im willing spend.

I have an 06 mkv gti 6spd manual with 115k and the gearbox and clutch still feel extremely tight and like new, I am confident both will last at least another 100-200k. The clutch is still the original so it may need replacing before 200k but only time will really tell.

If your worried about which tranny to get and your looking at cars with 100k+ with little/ no warranty I would go the Manual, its the main reason why I chose the manual. I know it should be trouble free and its much cheaper to maintain then the dsg box.

Thanks for that, are the manual boxes easy to maintain? Im coming from a fairly straight forward car to something far more complex, my only hesitation with manual is when something breaks how much will it cost to fix. .. same can be said with DSG haha.



i read through this months top gear magazine review on the MK5 GTI second hand buyers guide and noticed oil service needs to be done at least every 10,000kms, my main concern is how sensitive are these cars to oil changes, if one is missed should i avoid the car completely?

 

[jesse085]

Thanks for that, are the manual boxes easy to maintain? Im coming from a fairly straight forward car to something far more complex, my only hesitation with manual is when something breaks how much will it cost to fix. .. same can be said with DSG haha.



i read through this months top gear magazine review on the MK5 GTI second hand buyers guide and noticed oil service needs to be done at least every 10,000kms, my main concern is how sensitive are these cars to oil changes, if one is missed should i avoid the car completely?

The manual box has life fluid so one could argue it has no maintainance costs, sure the clutch will wear out at some point but it depends on your driving style, i usually get around 180k out of a clutch. The same cant be said about the dsg box as it has expensive fluid (around $600) which needs to be changed every 60k

That goes to show how inacurate TG is, the mkv gti official service schedule is every 15,000kms or 12months whichever comes first, some will argue that you should change it sooner but thats really a personal choice. Also when your looking at the service book you will notice it says the timing belt needs replacing every 120k , vw officially changed this to 105k so if an owner hasnt done it yet and your getting close to 105 expect to budget 1k+ for it..


Sent from my HTC Desire Z using Tapatalk

 

[macad]

Well VW say 15000kms services but a lot of people recommend summer and winter services so 10000kms is not really a mistake.

 

[DEKAY]

Well VW say 15000kms services but a lot of people recommend summer and winter services so 10000kms is not really a mistake.

The manual box has life fluid so one could argue it has no maintainance costs, sure the clutch will wear out at some point but it depends on your driving style, i usually get around 180k out of a clutch. The same cant be said about the dsg box as it has expensive fluid (around $600) which needs to be changed every 60k

That goes to show how inacurate TG is, the mkv gti official service schedule is every 15,000kms or 12months whichever comes first, some will argue that you should change it sooner but thats really a personal choice. Also when your looking at the service book you will notice it says the timing belt needs replacing every 120k , vw officially changed this to 105k so if an owner hasnt done it yet and your getting close to 105 expect to budget 1k+ for it..


Sent from my HTC Desire Z using Tapatalk

Some great advice there Jesse, this has really helped me out.

Now to consider which one is better manual or DSG.

Timing belt seems like a big thing, there are a fair few cars on sale with close to 100k so i will be keeping a big eye out on that one. same goes with DSG service every 60k.

if 15,000k/12months is recommended then i will keep that in mind when looking at the service records. On the other hand for a car like this i do agree that 10,000 is probably the most best time to change your oil.

So in light of this information my new question is, what should i look out for in terms of a 100km service, or nearing service. Cost wise and when it should of been done.

 

[YouSnooze]

Also when your looking at the service book you will notice it says the timing belt needs replacing every 120k , vw officially changed this to 105k so if an owner hasnt done it yet and your getting close to 105 expect to budget 1k+ for it..

Not meaning to start any kind of argument but can you show some evidence that VW have revised this timing belt replacement recommendation to 105K? I don't mean "the dealer says so" - I mean real evidence from VWoA.
When I last checked with my mechanic who has access to official VWoA servicing recommendations/data etc that was clearly not the case.

 

[jesse085]

So in light of this information my new question is, what should i look out for in terms of a 100km service, or nearing service. Cost wise and when it should of been done.

If the previous owner sticks to the 15k per service like my mine then the major service will be at exactly 105k mine included:

Minor service (oil, filter etc)
Timing belt + components
Water pump
Air filter
Full coolant flush

The total was around $1300 from an independent vw specialist using original oem parts.

I tend to agree, that 15k is too long for a turbo charged car in our hot climate, my cars just out of warranty now so I had a minor service and it was at 7500kms and 6 months. Like i previously said its a personal choice, the vw engineers wouldn't put 15k as the service schedule if it was dangerous to the engine.

Not meaning to start any kind of argument but can you show some evidence that VW have revised this timing belt replacement recommendation to 105K? I don't mean "the dealer says so" - I mean real evidence from VWoA.
When I last checked with my mechanic who has access to official VWoA servicing recommendations/data etc that was clearly not the case.

The service manager at my local vw dealer was the person who notified me about the change, so i contacted several other vw dealers across Sydney who confirmed the change. Im not calling your mechanic a liar but I doubt VWoa would make the effort of notifying any independent mechanics about every new or modified service schedule. I think I would rather be safer then sorry in this instance anyway as we all know the potential consequences of a snapped timing belt.

Also a side note, considering its now 2011, all 2005/06 models will require a belt change (if not already) regardless of the kms as they are 5yrs old.

 

[Jester_Fu]

Not meaning to start any kind of argument but can you show some evidence that VW have revised this timing belt replacement recommendation to 105K? I don't mean "the dealer says so" - I mean real evidence from VWoA.
When I last checked with my mechanic who has access to official VWoA servicing recommendations/data etc that was clearly not the case.

*cough*water pump*cough*

 

[YouSnooze]

Once again, show me the evidence. Forget "the service manager said so" - show an official written recommendation from VWoA. Yes Jester - I know about the water pump. So why don't people change their oil more often than 15K if it's fairly widely accepted that for a FI car this is prob too long?