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Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: Mr Savage on 20 March 2012, 23:30

Title: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Mr Savage on 20 March 2012, 23:30
Okay guys, this has been driving me crazy ever since I owned my Golf. Simply put and without sounding stupid sometimes my Golf drives like a rocket and sometimes it would rather have stayed in bed, a bit like me basically! :laugh:

Sometimes I get in the car and instantly I can feel a sharper throttle response, a more keen surge with any prod on the accelerator and it really wanting to go. Then sometimes I can put my foot to the floor and achieve something to be desired. Isit just me that get's this? The difference is night and day, like two different cars.

No pattern as to certain climate changes that causes it, and it can be with the engine cold or warm. Or outside being cold or warm. It's made me paranoid the last months, so much so that I took it to a garage once who told me nothing's wrong with it. I am very curious as to what causes it to change so often in it's driving feel!
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: ROH ECHT on 21 March 2012, 02:50
If you can tell a huge difference then "nothing is wrong with it" is incorrect. Something is telling the ecu to pull back a bit. Likely a sensor or an assembly is giving bad readings. Have the fault codes read because not every one of them will give you a CEL, but if anything is wrong the data should be stored. When it was checked before, what did they do?
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Mr Savage on 21 March 2012, 08:04
They checked for any fault codes and said there were none at all so they fitted a little fault code storing device in the car (apparantly) and told me to return after a couple of weeks. Which I did, they took it off and said no fault codes at all were logged.

Of course this was also in there best interests as it was still under warranty by them. Do you suggest I take it elsewhere for a health checkup?

Cheers,
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: ROH ECHT on 21 March 2012, 08:19
I would if you do not have your own vag-com cable.
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: MS1COYS on 21 March 2012, 08:44
If the difference is really noticeable then I would say, I'm a little stumped.

I know that on a crisp, cold, dry day, sub 7/8 degrees, then my GTI feels as though as it has slightly more get up and go, than it does on a 16/17 degree day like we had yesterday. I guess it's all down to how much cold air you can force into the car to make it breathe more healthily.

I know that if I've ever had a smoke  :embarassed: then I can often find things wrong with my car, that miraculously disappear the next time I'm sober lol
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Mr Savage on 21 March 2012, 22:19
Haha :D It's really been annoying me too. What I can't understand, if it is a mechanical fault then why would it drive just fine some days? It's really frustrating because I love my car when it's performing properly but when it's not I know in the back of my mind that it's holding back which is depressing.

I guess I should get it took to another garage or have someone off here VAG check it.
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: topher on 21 March 2012, 22:22
they fitted a little fault code storing device in the car (apparantly)

oh dear, heard it all now :grin: your car already has a fault code storing device.. its called an ECU.
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Mr Savage on 21 March 2012, 22:52
they fitted a little fault code storing device in the car (apparantly)

oh dear, heard it all now :grin: your car already has a fault code storing device.. its called an ECU.

Haha yes I also thought it was a little strange as i'd never heard of it before. When I questioned him about it he was like "Uh, well, you can't actually see it because weve hidden it somewhere." I had the feeling they were just telling stories but what can you do eh, one persons word against another. I'm really at a loss here then. Intermittent problems are the worse type. Should I go to a trusty local garage or try and get some honest folk off here to hook me up with a VAG com?
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: bacillus on 22 March 2012, 09:09
By any chance has your car got dsg transmission?
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Mr Savage on 22 March 2012, 15:12
By any chance has your car got dsg transmission?

No it doesn't. It's a manual. There's definitely something wrong with it, can't put my finger on it. The dealer told me they had serviced it but it's difficult to tell on a diesel as the oil is always ink black. I was thinking of getting it reserviced so the fuel filter gets replaced, and maybe try a new MAF sensor? What ya reckon?
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Rhyso on 22 March 2012, 15:28
Yours is the 140 isn't it?

What mileage has the car done?

Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Mr Savage on 22 March 2012, 16:06
Yours is the 140 isn't it?

What mileage has the car done?



It is yes, it's at 38,000 miles now so barely broken in for a diesel. The car was in great condition when I got it, atleast the body panels, wheels were unmarked/curbed ect so I had assumed it's been well looked after, whether or not it hasn't been mechnically I don't know.
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Mr Savage on 23 March 2012, 22:04
I just had to get one of my tires replaced so i'm a bit out of pocket right now but once I get some funds i'll start with the basics and slowly replace stuff until I get my power back and then I think it's time for a trip down to Mr Rhyso  :cool:  :laugh:
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Dannyavw on 25 March 2012, 19:08
Their was a technical bullitin about intermittant lack of power like you said sometimes like sh1t of a shovel and days when its like a slug. The lock nut on the turbo actuator rod comes loose and due to this you can expierience intermittant power loss due to the rod not being in a fixed position. Im sure its for 170bhp tdi but i will double check when i get to work tommorow and let you know.
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: ajmoir36 on 25 March 2012, 20:30
Fuel? Different brands I swear mine runs better on shell than Morrison's.
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Mr Savage on 27 March 2012, 00:21
Their was a technical bullitin about intermittant lack of power like you said sometimes like sh1t of a shovel and days when its like a slug. The lock nut on the turbo actuator rod comes loose and due to this you can expierience intermittant power loss due to the rod not being in a fixed position. Im sure its for 170bhp tdi but i will double check when i get to work tommorow and let you know.

Cheers mate that would be really helpful if you could, i'll get the garage to take a look at it. It's really annoying since I was looking into getting it remapped but it's not even stable at stock!

Fuel? Different brands I swear mine runs better on shell than Morrison's.

I also thought this, I've tried everything, supermarket fuel, Total, Total Excelium. I usually use standard Total now as at first I thought I had an improvement with Excelium, the car had less vibrations at idle ect but to be honest with you I don't notice a difference in the drive. I've had it go like a rocket on all 3 fuels though, supermarker, total and excelium and  like a slug on all 3 too. Sometimes you can high rev it and the car feels like it's on 50% power, othertimes you just touch the accelerator slightly and get thrown into the back seat. So strange.
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Dannyavw on 28 March 2012, 19:28
It does only affect 170bhp but it might be worth checking anyway have a look on the actuator rod on the turbo and it should have a nut either side of the connecting rod if it's only got 1 theres you problem Tried to attach a picture but not sure how to
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: TeddyKGB on 07 April 2012, 22:27
Where abouts are you Mr Savage? Maybe someone local with vagcom could shout up and help? (This would at least allow you to access the secret "fault code storing device")!
Title: Re: Does your Golf have mood swings? Mine does!
Post by: Mr Savage on 12 April 2012, 15:46
Where abouts are you Mr Savage? Maybe someone local with vagcom could shout up and help? (This would at least allow you to access the secret "fault code storing device")!

Sorry for the late reply, been away for the week. I'm located in Derbyshire. Cheers for the help all.