Author Topic: New Mk4 Owner - thoughts welcome!  (Read 1191 times)

Offline RobTheKench

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New Mk4 Owner - thoughts welcome!
« on: 17 August 2017, 18:59 »
Evening all,

So, for better or worse, I've just picked up a Mk4 GT TDI that a wife of a friend of a mechanic was selling. £500 for an 03 that's done 180k miles and has a little bit of service history, but a full year's MOT.  If it lasts the year and passes its next MOT I'll be thrilled.

Naturally there are a few niggles, and I'm hoping that the more experienced mechanically-minded guys amongst you will be able to tell me which are worth me chasing and which are not going to be feasible.  I'm a fair weather driveway mechanic with access to a haynes manual, most types of borrowed tools, and plenty of optimism.  If it's going to require ramps, or welding, then unless it's keeping me off the road it'll have to wait until later in the car's life when I've got a better feel for its longevity.

1)  When sat on the drive at idle, occasionally it will do 10 seconds worth of "pulsing" or "throbbing" (can't think of better words) at about 2hz.  RPM seems stable.  Does this sound like anything?  Am I better off trying to video it and share the love?

2)  Temperature gauge never rises.  Is there any common fault that's an easy fix?  Clearly I'm not in the market for complex electrical snags for minimal value added.  That said, will the lack of temperature be sending the ECU duff info and be affecting my efficiency or anything?  It is a little smoky.

3) MOT has an advisory for a CV joint gaiter having a "slow grease leak, though it prevents debris ingress" or words to that effect.  How is access likely to be?  If it's a split gaiter, how long have I got before it goes bang?  How much of a job is changing one?

Touch wood I can get some bargain motoring out of this one.  All it's required to do is 8 miles to work and back, and really I should be cycling more.  But I'd like it to be capable of the odd long Journey if needs be.

Thanks in advance for your help - hopefully the good things I've heard about the Mk4 community are true.

--Rob.

Offline barrym381

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Re: New Mk4 Owner - thoughts welcome!
« Reply #1 on: 18 August 2017, 19:51 »
Welcome  :smiley: the temp gauge will probably be a temp sensor and the cv boot is an easy fix too