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Model specific boards => Golf mk4 => Topic started by: number_six on 14 January 2004, 18:46

Title: Engine Life
Post by: number_six on 14 January 2004, 18:46

Sorry if this has been covered before but I'm interested in what kind of engine life to expect from a 1.8T under typical conditions and regular services.  I don't do much milage, just the occasional long run, mainly just driving to and from work & short journeys. Is this bad for the engine in the long term?

Picking up the Y plate 5dr tomorrow (expecting our first child this year and the wife insists on having a 5dr) which has 31K on the clock. What milage is on everyone's clock in relation to age?

Cheers
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: Doug W on 16 January 2004, 14:27
don't worry about mileage with VWs mate - got a V 1.8T with 25K but had a Corrado before which had 200K when it left my hands. Look after it, change the oil, get it serviced/do it yourself and don't rag it when the engine is cold (esp as you have a turbo) and I'm sure 200K is on the cards (as this is a more modern engine).
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: kniterider on 16 January 2004, 21:24
yeah milege aint an issue on these engines!!!, ive read on a american website these 20v engines arent fully loose (run in) till about 150,000 miles so youve got a life time of motoring ahead!!! just keep serviced and make sure cam belt is done before times up, and dont cane it till warm and dont kane it before you turn off (as turbo can still be cooking!!!) let get to idle running temp then turn off!!!
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: S11EPS on 16 January 2004, 23:45
My PD150 is at 50k, its 18 months old.

It has the living bejesus caned out of it every day and it hasn't missed a beat. Keep the servicing regular, and as Knightrider says, let it warm up before you cane it and give it an idling session before switching off.

At the end of the day there are endless numbers of people on here running 15 year old Mk2's and 20 year old MK1'S that have well over 100k on them.

You would assume that engine technology has moved on from this, increasing life expectancy, so a properly maintained engine in a Mk4 should do a quarter of a million miles without too much of a problem.
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: kniterider on 17 January 2004, 00:01
hear hear!!! i love it when some one backs me up for a change!!!! lol ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: number_six on 17 January 2004, 12:08
Cheers dudes

Kniterider do you know the name of that American website please?

Got me 5dr the other day and I think it drives a bit better than my previous one, less rattles in the cabin too, although there is a knocking noise that seems to be coming from the front drivers door.  Taking it back in next Fri to be looked at.

When I picked the car up, I was driving up the M40 to test it out and noticed there is a smallish chip in the windscreen, do you think it's worth getting them to fix that or am I being too fusy  ???
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: kniterider on 17 January 2004, 12:26
ill try and find out but it was ages ago!!, i was looking through the forum on vw vortex and there was a link!!, if i find it ill post it!! ;D
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: golfvr6 on 18 January 2004, 00:27
It will be interesting to see how long the turbo engines last compared with the normally aspirated ones..
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: antgti on 20 January 2004, 00:35
Should'nt be any different as the block is strong, will just have to replace the turbo after 90 - 110k, i would have thought, but might last longer as the units don't run at very high pressure.  My old Punto Gt needed a new turbo at 70000, but that was a 1.4 running the standard fiat 18Psi. They all go at that milage, as long as you replace the turbo before it blows, cos then the block may end up damaged.

Plus will be interesting to see if a variable serviced car will last any different to an identicle Fixed schedule serviced car.  we will all be old and onto Mk5's before that happens anyway.
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: golfvr6 on 22 January 2004, 11:33
Don't worry about the block, worry about the pistons and bearings. They are gonna take huge stress. Forced induction will almost certainly wear these parts quicker than a normally aspirated engine.
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: S11EPS on 22 January 2004, 12:59
Then allow me to everyone's test bed!!!!

MY PD150 is 18 months old give or take a day or so, and has just shy of 50k miles on it. Based on my three year lease, I have it for another 18 months, which if my mileage stays constant, will give a final mileage in the region of 100k.

The car is always given a decent warm-up time before its given any stick, and a cool down period before shut-off, so I show diligence in looking after the turbo.

That said, once the temp needle hits 90 and we're good to go, it does get driven as the good Lord intended  ;D

The mileage I cover is a good mix of town driving, high speed motorway stuff, and crawling through London, so I do a representative mileage sample, just at an accelerated rate.

My only problem so far is about to be fixed under warranty - a faulty expansion tank giving (false) low coolant readings, so the car beeps every so often telling me I'm all out of coolant, and to stop and consult handbook. I don't consider this a symptom of being a turbo charged engine, so we can ignore that!

I'll keep you all up to date as mileage increases.  8)
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: antgti on 23 January 2004, 00:25
My PD 130 is 6 weeks old and the mileometer shows 5200 now.  So i should cover at least 40-45k this year.   I am confident that my diesel which is driven relatively hard will take it easily.  the interior is wearing very well. Engine wise, since new it has needed a little oil top up, but in general i let it warm up most mornings and give it 30 seconds idle ( iused to have punto GT turbo so iremember doing this all the time)  

the only thing i have noticed since i fot the car is it has got a little bit noisier on idle and that is it,

I'll let you now how it goes at each 10 k ( that'll be quick coming around)
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: number_six on 23 January 2004, 01:09
There seems to be some very knowledgeable people on here.  Should I be worried about the following?
I arrived home from work tonight, sat in the car to allow it to settle down a bit, and whilst doing so I could hear a quiet tapping noise, a sort of clicking noise coming from the engine, I opened the bonnet and to hear it better, it was fairly quiet but noticeable.  Not sure if I'm just looking for faults all the time now or am I just being paranoid?
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: gazzagtiT on 25 January 2004, 13:50
t reg now ive done 41,000 and should been serviced bout 2,000 miles ago i no it's naughty, an by what you guys are saying i'm treating my golf wic much respect am i? i'l get to it very soon i promise!! :'(
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: spikey on 15 February 2004, 20:46
you may think this is a silly question but can the turbo give off a "fishy smell" if not left too idle after driving ?
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: antgti on 16 February 2004, 12:32
Not really, Unless you are using recycled chip shop cooking oil as your engine oil!
Title: Re:Engine Life
Post by: Franko180 on 17 February 2004, 20:51
A bit late on the reply.. My last w-reg GTi 1.8t went back to the lease firm on 98700-ish miles.. I never had a proper engine or ECU issue ever apart from one which I caused myself.. Was giving it a real hammering, inducing wheel spin in 1st and 2nd to get it to understeer at a load of junctions (no traction control on that car). This caused massive wheel spin and ramping (where it bounces about at the front and makes a hammering sound like the dashboard is going to shake loose), anyway the result of this was that it suddenly cut out. To cut a long story short I'd made a pipe jump off the turbo and it wouldnt fire properly without it. So I dont count it as a fault as I caused it myself with hardcore driving (as a Max Power sticker used to say "DRIVE IT LIKE YOU HATE IT"!)

I didnt hate it, it was a company motor so i hammered it for near on 100,000 miles and the engine was solid!