GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: Ben Lessani on 26 October 2009, 22:28
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As much as I love ECP/GSF for the availability and low prices, buying some parts from there are just a false economy. Recently, I'd had a bout of swapping out the low quality failed GSF/ECP crappers for genuine parts.
I figure, there should be a reference on here for parts that are decent from ECP/GSF and parts that should really be avoided - with some genuine reasoning that is!
Pattern parts I wouldn't buy ...
- Thermostat flange - I've replace this twice with GSF parts and after 1 year or so, it has warped.
- Gear linkage repair kit - it was made of the lowest quality crap I've ever bought. The foam doughnuts fell apart just from looking at them.
- Steering rack boots - Replaced twice again, they simply don't last
- Door handles
- Number plate lamps - didn't fit properly. At all. I thought all MK2 number plate lamps were the same, so mine must be special?
- Side repeaters - didn't seem to fit and broke easily
- Sensors - oil temp sensor failed after 3 months
- Electric window mech - needed replacing again after 3 weeks
- Valve stem seals - ECP's lasted 4 months
Pattern parts that failed early ... but might not be because of low quality
- Bottom ball joints - BUT, my car is lowered to buggary, so it is very likely it eats ball joints for fun
- Radiator hoses (http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=133365.msg1196756#msg1196756)
Pattern parts I would be happy to buy
- Hella Headlights (can't go wrong with these, surely?)
- G12 coolant equivalent
- Heater Matrix (the good one). £120 +VAT at the dealers - ouch
- Spark plugs - Bosch/NGK
- Brake pads - well, they are okay so far
I'm going to add more as I think of them, but I reckon this list might be handy to have when it comes to buying replacement parts.
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Can I add radiator hoses?.........
replaced my lower one that leads from the rad to the water pump for a brand new GSF one about a year ago which has since split, spilt its guts everywhere and been re-replaced by the original VW one (I only changed it along with the rad for peace of mind)
Next time I'm off the the scrappies
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gsf door handles should go on,break within days.
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gsf door handles should go on,break within days.
+1
and the AVS ones never fit properly
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I use the dealers' when I can - sometimes they surprise me with fairly reasonable prices! GSF is okay for the branded stuff, but everything else is a little hit and miss. Body and interior parts are nothing more than roulette for getting bits that fit properly.
AVOID
Number plate lamps - didn't fit properly. At all. I thought all MK2 number plate lamps were the same, so mine must be special?
Side repeaters - didn't seem to fit and broke easily
Sensors - oil temp sensor failed after 3 months
Electric window mech - needed replacing again after 3 weeks
GO FOR
Hella Headlights (can't go wrong with these, surely?)
G12 coolant equivalent
Heater Matrix (the good one). £120 +VAT at the dealers - ouch
Spark plugs - Bosch
Brake pads - well, they are okay so far
Not had a problem with the GSF gear linkage, though it's only been on a week.
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Blue temp sender and oxy sender from gsf go wrong. My water pump is fine so far fitted back in june. Vw can be cheap for some servicing parts
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Bumpers and plastic trims, like wheel arches. They can be made to fit, but are a pain in the harris!
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I only use the VW dealership. So far they have been the cheapest and most helpful. They even recognise my voice and know my numberplate :laugh:
Parts you should buy from the dealership:
Number plates - £6 each
Number plate holder £8 each
Body pannels if you can find them and afford them.
Ive only used GSF three times if that?
vacume piping (thumbs up)
Gear linkage repair kit - stay away. They handed me a mk1 kit and the quality was crap so in the bin that went!
euro parts for a front big bumper bumper - crap
Most genuine parts have been off other dubs and dealerships.
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I only use GSF for service parts, and then I get MANN/Bosch etc brand names that have a good history and name.
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Parts you should buy from the dealership:
Number plates - £3 each!
My invoice from last week says different, as do the 4 dealers that i asked for prices...
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I thought I saw a sign @ Oxford VW Motorworld £9 for the both or maybe for 1... :undecided:
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Dont bother with the oil coolers from euro parts, mk2 gti
1st of all the rubber seal split after about 6 months, So got a new seal from vw dealer cause euro parts didnt stock them, And then after i fitted new seal my expansion tank started 2 fill with creamy water and was runnin all through my pipes, what a mess that was,
So i thought my head gasket had gone, But a local mechanic said it could be my oil cooler, So i robbed a genuine oil cooler of a mk3 gti in scrappy, And it has been fine, that was 2 years ago,,
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euro car parts wings.panel gap so bad igot rid of the car when sprayed
which i regret now!
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I thought I saw a sign @ Oxford VW Motorworld £9 for the both or maybe for 1... :undecided:
I'll be f**king pissed off if they are seeing as it was Motorworld that i bought them from. :angry:
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Parts you should buy from the dealership:
Number plates - £3 each!
My invoice from last week says different, as do the 4 dealers that i asked for prices...
Just checked invoice. £6 not £3 :lipsrsealed: oops
£3 for the acrylic and £3 for the reflective backing. Still much cheaper than most!
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Parts you should buy from the dealership:
Number plates - £3 each!
My invoice from last week says different, as do the 4 dealers that i asked for prices...
Just checked invoice. £6 not £3 :lipsrsealed: oops
£3 for the acrylic and £3 for the reflective backing. Still much cheaper than most!
Yer most are quite bad... halfords as per f**king usual is 'starting from'. God knows how they start from that price? surely there all the same...
p.s i was looking for heat shielding in halfords as a last ditch effort not actually buying sh!t from there
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16v Temp sensors from ECP I bought three and all three read differently, robbed some from a mk2 in a scrappers and they were fine
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I'm adding valve stem seals to the list too!
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i had some b.discs for my s4 from gsf just after a year the outer edges rusted really badly. £84 a pair. money was tight so i got a set of bought a set of cheap LPR discs from the factors i was working in £30 a pair still on the car 3yrs later no problem with them. car now sold
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Rado G60 power steering bottle for G60 conversion into mk2 golf.
new from dealer 8 plus the dreaded.
they are £15 on ebay used and manky :shocked:
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GSF Green end caps for gearbox's - had 2 now and they both leaked, need to be sealed in
GSF Fan thermo switch - doesn't kick in at the right temp so car runs hot when you floor it.
AVS thermostat flange is rubbish and leaks even tho its brand new and torqued up correctly
GSF Cambelts are decent - got one on my car at the moment!
ECP Rocker cover gaskets are elring and there decent too - again got one on my car.
Dealer expansion tank blue caps are only £12 - bargin
Another vote for GSF G12 - awesome stuff
Got a GSF oil cooler on my car which is so far so good - hope it lasts after seeing above posts for the ECP
Oh BTW awesome thread!
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Dealer Parts all the way for me... :laugh:
Just bought; Top Mounts, Bump Stops, Bottom Bolts & Nuts, spring caps.... Expensive but worth it in the long run..
Pattent stuff only when the other parts are NLA...
Or when Highly Recommended by peeps (Or Dealer parts are a Rip Off ie Boot Struts @ £33.00 Each Plus Vat - WTF)...
Ie Boge Turbo Dampers... Eibach Springs... Boot Struts... G12...
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Got my 16v waterpump, timing belt and tensioner from dealers. On exchange worked out cheaper than anywhere else. Top quality too.
Below is just a rant....
Went to exchange my old unit and they said I was out with the 30 days. No-one mentioned this time limit previously so I got the hump as I'm out 60.00+.
Guy I spoke to thought because I was dressed in my oilies that I was a mug and spoke to me like a piece of sh!t. I set him straight saying I don't need to buy from the dealer for a 19yr old car etc and suddenly he's Mr Customer Service sir this and that but still refused to give me my exchange. :evil:
Seems daft considering I spend alot of money keeping my car running sweet and repeat custom from me would total hundereds if not thousands over the years. Everyone else I've spoken to there has been dead on helpful but out of principal I haven't been back.
Defo worth checking with the dealers for bolts etc as they are often cheaper than ebay and the quality is better. Just don't use Bill at Barnetts Dundee VW as he's a snobby knobhead....Everyone else is lovely :wink:
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Other thing worth noting is that SOME stuff from GSF etc is from the same manufacturers as the OEM stuff...
Other place thats good is Ebay.de as some prices are MUCH less that what you see listed on Ebay.co.uk and you can find stuff that you just can't get here...
I just bought a pair of Hella Big Bumper Clear Indicators for 20 Euro's posted.... (Used).
I also Bought 2 x Brand NEW left sided ones for 15 Euro each plus 9 Euro postage (didn't realise that they were handed... Duhhhh Bloody Vagcat Not working caused that mistake.... Grrrrrrr).
JMPW....
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All this stuff bought from TPS
Oil filter, plugs, plastic wheel arch trim (front), water pump, cam belt kit,clutch kit,flexi brake hose,rocker cover gasket,battery,locking wheel nuts and standard nuts,air filter, brake pads,air filter, Loads of other little bits and so far they get the thumbs up from me, good price especially if you are returning for example of an old clutch or water pump in exchange, got both genuine parts at almost the same price of stoff on Ebay that are not the genuine article.
:grin:
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DO NOT buy coolant hoses from GSF, i've been through 3 sets in 18 months, thee rubber perished=s and they get pin holes and the water drains like a b***h the VW ones are about £20 each but are well worth it unless you want to fork out for Samco hoses...
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DO NOT buy coolant hoses from GSF, i've been through 3 sets in 18 months, thee rubber perished=s and they get pin holes and the water drains like a b***h the VW ones are about £20 each but are well worth it unless you want to fork out for Samco hoses...
If it's the heater matrix ones you are stuffed as the dealers don't do both anymore... you can only get one type and its £30.00 & vat - AFAIR
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To be fair I am talking about the nes from the water pump to the rad and the top hose from the rad to the flange on the frot of the head...
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To be fair I am talking about the nes from the water pump to the rad and the top hose from the rad to the flange on the frot of the head...
A question that someone may be able to answer...
Does Samco/Roose etc do the pipes for the heater matrix as I may just buy a set and stick 'em on... as I am sure mine are GSF ones as the bypass valves are not there...
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All the electrical sensors I've had from GSF I've replaced with Gen VW. Fan, Black and Blue (digifant) - The calibration has been out on all of them. The black one read very hot when in reality was normal but some other people have had big problems with under-reading ones. Blue one was just crap and messed up the idle. Fan ones didn't kick in as said above. AVOID AVOID AVOID
Also has anyone else had problems with the thermostats? I think the Mk3 and the Mk2 ones are different spring strengths despite the same temp rating, I think that the GSF copy the Mk3 spring so don't open fully in a Mk2 giving the temp sat at the first bar instead of about half way or is this just the start of a fail? Add a badly calibrated black sensor and you don't know if your car is running a little cold or way too hot...
My GSF oil cooler seems fine so far and I've not had problems with the smaller hoses I've replaced. O-rings seem to be fine from GSF too but perhaps I got lucky?
Door membrane was gen VW part when I got it from GSF but about £6 not £20 IIRC
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All the electrical sensors I've had from GSF I've replaced with Gen VW. Fan, Black and Blue (digifant) - The calibration has been out on all of them. The black one read very hot when in reality was normal but some other people have had big problems with under-reading ones. Blue one was just crap and messed up the idle. Fan ones didn't kick in as said above. AVOID AVOID AVOID
Also has anyone else had problems with the thermostats? I think the Mk3 and the Mk2 ones are different spring strengths despite the same temp rating, I think that the GSF copy the Mk3 spring so don't open fully in a Mk2 giving the temp sat at the first bar instead of about half way or is this just the start of a fail? Add a badly calibrated black sensor and you don't know if your car is running a little cold or way too hot...
+100% My experience as well, always ended up with dealer parts to get things right.
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All the electrical sensors I've had from GSF I've replaced with Gen VW. Fan, Black and Blue (digifant) - The calibration has been out on all of them. The black one read very hot when in reality was normal but some other people have had big problems with under-reading ones. Blue one was just crap and messed up the idle. Fan ones didn't kick in as said above. AVOID AVOID AVOID
Interesting that as my 2 MK2's 8v Digis have the same issues... Both fitted with new GSF Blue & Black Senders & One reads too high and the other the temp needle hardly moves from cold...
Might just swap them over and see what happens...
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All the electrical sensors I've had from GSF I've replaced with Gen VW. Fan, Black and Blue (digifant) - The calibration has been out on all of them. The black one read very hot when in reality was normal but some other people have had big problems with under-reading ones. Blue one was just crap and messed up the idle. Fan ones didn't kick in as said above. AVOID AVOID AVOID
Also has anyone else had problems with the thermostats? I think the Mk3 and the Mk2 ones are different spring strengths despite the same temp rating, I think that the GSF copy the Mk3 spring so don't open fully in a Mk2 giving the temp sat at the first bar instead of about half way or is this just the start of a fail? Add a badly calibrated black sensor and you don't know if your car is running a little cold or way too hot...
My GSF oil cooler seems fine so far and I've not had problems with the smaller hoses I've replaced. O-rings seem to be fine from GSF too but perhaps I got lucky?
Door membrane was gen VW part when I got it from GSF but about £6 not £20 IIRC
Just to throw one into the mix on the thermostat/sensor debate - I have replaced the thermostat and black temperature sender with dealer parts, yet my gauge sits on the bar below half way (about 1/3). Oil temp is in the mid 80s - 90 degrees, so I suspect the genuine VW thermostat is faulty
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bought the matrix feed/return pipes from GSF, and they lasted 3months before cracking. got the feed pipe from VW (£18.85 + VAT), and a genuine return one second hand for a fiver.