GolfGTIforum.co.uk
General => General discussion => Topic started by: Malcyb on 09 June 2021, 14:31
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Hi,
So I’m a bit closer to being able to get myself a Mk5 or Mk6 than I was in my 1st post a few months ago, and been trawling ads daily. I’m looking for an unmodified car and, if a Mk5, my budget should get me a very good one so will be looking for the best condition and history possible. Got a couple of questions though. Apologies if they’ve been answered elsewhere but couldn’t find answers in a search.
1. My marginal preference, from a driving perspective, would be for a manual rather than DSG, however I’ve driven enough newer DSG-fitted VWs to know it’s good. On a car over 10 years old, I’d be slightly worried that a DSG is more likely to cause me problems than a manual (I’ve read about ECU problems), so thinking that I should play safe and stick to a manual. Is there a consensus for one being much more reliable than the other?
2. Unfortunately even after 4 decades of driving, I’m still rubbish at parking so parking sensors are a must for me. I know that quite a lot of Mk5 and Mk6s don’t have them fitted. If I bought one without them, are they a reasonably straightforward retrofit- making them well integrated and not obviously aftermarket - and very roughly how much should I budget, including professional fitting (my DIY isn’t up to much really)?
Many thanks
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1 - so you prefer manual and have a concern about DSG reliability - well that's that question already answered!
2 - an example http://vagtec.co.uk/eshop/genuine-vw-oem-retrofit-kit-ops-parking-sensors-rear-golf-6-5k.html
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1 - so you prefer manual and have a concern about DSG reliability - well that's that question already answered!
2 - an example http://vagtec.co.uk/eshop/genuine-vw-oem-retrofit-kit-ops-parking-sensors-rear-golf-6-5k.html
Re DSG, that doesn’t really answer my question. I’ve only got a marginal preference for manual and would be happy with DSG all other things being equal. I’m just guessing that DSG might be less reliable, not basing that on any evidence, so I was asking the expertise of the forum, I’m finding (not surprisingly) that really good cars are thin on the ground so anything I can do to widen my choice without compromising too much would be good.
Thanks for the parking sensor link... have you a rough idea about fitting costs?
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Have a look at the link provided, fitting costs are there.
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The DSG gearbox has a big question mark over it's reliability and needs regular servicing to be reliable. This may be ill deserved as VW have fitted tens of thousands without problem. I agree it's a great gearbox and enjoyed it in a leased Octavia where if it let go it was someone else's problem. If you find a well serviced one, backed up by proper records I would go for it if that's what you prefer. The manual box has a dual mass flywheel which can also fail and ain't cheap to replace if it lets go so don't think that manual boxes are without inherent cost. As far as parking sensors go find a car with them fitted as standard even if they are rare. The newest mk5 is now eleven years old with the mk6 eight. I would therefore buy the one with the best service records and spec. rather than mk5 or 6, you can find within your budget. Any car can and will break and will cost money to fix so you must at some point bite the bullet and spin the wheel. Until we inherited a mk5 gti I intended to buy a Rangerover and even they can be reliable. Only you can decide what you want. This may not seem helpful however everyone has their own preference and will give you opinions that reinforce their own bias. Take advice but buy the car you want. From your post that's a car with manual box and parking sensors. search just on that and filter all else out. Good luck with the search.
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Have a look at the link provided, fitting costs are there.
Oops sorry I missed that… thanks
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The DSG gearbox has a big question mark over it's reliability and needs regular servicing to be reliable. This may be ill deserved as VW have fitted tens of thousands without problem. I agree it's a great gearbox and enjoyed it in a leased Octavia where if it let go it was someone else's problem. If you find a well serviced one, backed up by proper records I would go for it if that's what you prefer. The manual box has a dual mass flywheel which can also fail and ain't cheap to replace if it lets go so don't think that manual boxes are without inherent cost. As far as parking sensors go find a car with them fitted as standard even if they are rare. The newest mk5 is now eleven years old with the mk6 eight. I would therefore buy the one with the best service records and spec. rather than mk5 or 6, you can find within your budget. Any car can and will break and will cost money to fix so you must at some point bite the bullet and spin the wheel. Until we inherited a mk5 gti I intended to buy a Rangerover and even they can be reliable. Only you can decide what you want. This may not seem helpful however everyone has their own preference and will give you opinions that reinforce their own bias. Take advice but buy the car you want. From your post that's a car with manual box and parking sensors. search just on that and filter all else out. Good luck with the search.
Thanks for the advice. I think I’ll include DSGs in my search. It’ll have to be a Mk5 or 6 as I think my chances of getting a *good* Mk7 within my budget are nil. As I’m looking for a car with the best possible history, and unfortunately there’s no so many of them around, I think I’d be a fool to ignore a car that was brilliant in every way but just happened to have DSG. I appreciate that getting any car this age is a bit of a gamble - I’m running a 17 year old 150k miles Audi A2 at the moment so I know this well - but I’d like to load the odds as much in my favour as possible. Thanks for pointing out the DMF, I’m aware of the perils of these from my A2…
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I think with the mk6 go after 2012 to avoid potential timing chain tensioner issues.
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If it's just a normal GTI you're after, you'll be better off with the mk6. It's just a revised mk5 and the common issues have been addresses eg the roller cam follower. Not to mention mk5's are now out of their rust paint warranty period so front arches and sills which are very common for rust can no longer be addressed.
Rear sensors are a fairly straight forward retrofit, but would a rear camera solve the same problem?
DSG is only as reliable as how it's been serviced aka every 40k.
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So I’ve finally put down a deposit on a 2009 Mk6 GTI DSG, sub 40k mileage with full VW service history. Having an engineer inspection next week for a bit of peace of mind. I am wrestling with what to do about the timing chain issue, having skimmed all 74 pages of the thread. There is no evidence in the paperwork that the tensioner has ever been replaced, so I think I have to assume it hasn’t been. Sorry if I’m going back over old ground but, if I have the block 93 chain stretch check done, and I am fortunate enough to find it’s a good result, is it the consensus view that I still need to get the tensioner, chain, etc, replaced as a precaution? I’d be (reluctantly) prepared to, but not if the evidence suggests it’s not necessary. I know the chain has been known to fail with no (audible) warning, and obviously realise the catastrophic consequences of this, but is this actually likely if there’s minimal evidence of chain stretch? I note that a well-regarded VAG specialist near me (recommended on this forum) offers a free block 93 check, but what would be the point of this if the answer is just that I should replace it unconditionally?
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The 93 block check only tells if the timing is still within spec. The tensioner is designed to compensate for stretch so the check will only give you a partial picture. If you have the tensioner changed make sure they note how much it has moved out to compensate for chain stretch and make the decision on whether you need to do the full monty. If any about doubt about stretch for peace of mind I would change chains and guides as well. With only 40k the chains are probably ok though.
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Thanks… as it turned out, the inspection uncovered other potentially expensive work that was more than would be expected even for a car this age so I decided to walk away. So my search goes on and I think I might steer clear of early Mk6s unless there’s definite documentary evidence of the timing chain being replaced.
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Best of luck with the search. Later mk6 is probably a better option but much depends on how it has been treated. My wife thinks the mk6 is a better everyday car than our 7.5 and won't let me get sell it. Not much wrong at 86k. Just changed the front pads but discs still fine and 93 test still at -1.87! Oil and filter changes every 6 months and 98/99 octane fuel most of the time. Had to deal with a bit of rust from stone chips on the rear suspension recently. Grandson wants it eventually but no mechanical expertise so not sure how long it would last with him.
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This is slightly drifting from the original topic, but I’d like to pick the brains of this forum as to how best to spot a decent Mk5 or Mk6 given that, inevitably, there’s a lot of bad ones around, but any car over 10 years old is going to need money spent on it. I’ve watched some good YouTube vids illustrating the common faults however I am no mechanic really and don’t think I’m sufficiently qualified to spot a lot of the faults that would require expensive work.
A bit of background, most of my life I’ve stuck to buying new or nearly-new as I needed to rely on my car and felt this was the safest bet. However having recently retired I feel I can afford to look for something older (and cheaper) knowing that I’ve got the time to fix things that need doing. Just before COVID I dipped my toe in the water for the 1st time by buying a 2004 Audi A2 (don’t laugh) with almost 150k on the clock for £2k as a runaround. It’s worked out quite well since though it’s needed quite a lot of maintenance work there’s a very loyal and supportive owners club that has been an invaluable resource - l bought the car through the owners club - and it tends not to be the kind of car that people thrash. But now I’d like to spend a bit more on something more exciting which is why I’m here. I think my budget (£12k) should get me a decent Mk6, or leave me with change if I got an exceptional Mk5. However having narrowly dodged a bullet last week, with an £11k Mk6 for which the engineer’s report suggested it was likely to be a money pit, I’m now wondering where to go from here.
Naturally I always look for the obvious things like full service history, not too many owners, a tidy MOT history, and glean what I can from how well the ad is written and how well the car is presented, a bulging book of invoices is rare but a nice bonus. I also try to do a bit of homework on the dealer’s reputation however online reviews can often be misleading, though I’d never rule out a private sale either. The trouble is that my recent experience shows that this isn’t enough, I thought I’d found a decent car last week however my RAC inspection (which cost almost £300) proved me wrong. I can’t realistically afford to blow that amount on every possible car I look at until I find a good one, so what suggestions do people have from their own experience? Unfortunately I don’t have a good mate who’s a mechanic who I could take with me who’d spot the things I’d miss. Would it generally better value to try and get the car inspected at a local garage (VAG specialist preferably) prior to purchase?
Sorry this is a bit of a ramble but I’m genuinely in a bit of a quandary and your answers might help others in a similar position.
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Might be worth reposting this on the mk6 forum for a better response. Lots of experience of buying second hand. Not had much recent experience myself.
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Might be worth reposting this on the mk6 forum for a better response. Lots of experience of buying second hand. Not had much recent experience myself.
Did you mean the Mk6 board on this forum? At a glance the golf Mk6 forum I googled doesn’t seem to have much of a UK presence. However I’m really after more general advice that could apply to any car of this kind.
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Sorry yes the thread on this forum.