GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: Chardy on 03 September 2007, 04:09
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I am interested to find out what is diferent between an Aus delivered GTi and the Euro / USA ones.
Mine is Jun 07 build (my mate who sold it to me owns the VW dealership and tells me its a 2008 model) It has the bigger screen between the tacho and speedo, different stalks for wipers and cruise control. CD player plays MP3's (and has MP3 written above the slot).
Its a 3 door, Candy White, DSG, Bi Zenons and sunroof. I will get some pics soon but it is just a stock car (and will be or a while)
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Chardy, I don't think that there are any differences between Euro/Australaisian GTI's. I believe that spec levels as standard may be higher in Austrailia, you certainly pay less than in the UK (about 5000 pounds less) but your car is probably built in South Africa rather than Germany.
Engines are the same, use the highest grade fuel you get over there (BP Ultimate-98 octane?) and it will sing.
3 door is a great looker and Candy White suits it well, I hear that the Bi Xenons are brilliant.
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The 3 doors are built in Germany and the 5 in South Africa. My friend showed me its "birth certificate" and it says Germany.
The Zenons are fantastic, I wasnt going to get them but I was convinced (and didnt have a choice once my friend ordered it for me) after tax and registration, it cost me $46,700 Aus.
I was told I dont need to run the car in? I did happen to buy the car from Canberra which is a 7 hour drive from where I live (Melbourne) so 7 hours of cruising at 120 kph has to be the best thing for the car??
Has anyone not run theirs in and still happy with it now? I did read tha some clown ran hisin for 7500 miles - HA HA HA HA
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As long as you didn't keep to constant revs for the 7 hours of cruising then you should be OK, I believe holding the engine at constant revs for long periods of time during the "running-in" period is bad for the engine.... although as to "why"... I have to confess I am not sure... TT might be able to provide a detailed answer...
I was told I dont need to run the car in? I did happen to buy the car from Canberra which is a 7 hour drive from where I live (Melbourne) so 7 hours of cruising at 120 kph has to be the best thing for the car??
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I am interested to find out what is diferent between an Aus delivered GTi and the Euro / USA ones.
Yours are EU based cars, but will have differences in standard specification, in the same way that UK specs sometimes differ from mainland Europe specs
Mine is Jun 07 build (my mate who sold it to me owns the VW dealership and tells me its a 2008 model) It has the bigger screen between the tacho and speedo, different stalks for wipers and cruise control. CD player plays MP3's (and has MP3 written above the slot).
What is the 10th digit of your VIN? Please do NOT post the full VIN, though, as "undesireables" might use it for a new identitiy on a stolen car.
Its a 3 door, Candy White, DSG, Bi Zenons and sunroof. I will get some pics soon but it is just a stock car (and will be or a while)
Another for the "candy white club"! :grin:
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I was told I dont need to run the car in? I did happen to buy the car from Canberra which is a 7 hour drive from where I live (Melbourne) so 7 hours of cruising at 120 kph has to be the best thing for the car??
Has anyone not run theirs in and still happy with it now? I did read tha some clown ran hisin for 7500 miles - HA HA HA HA
<sighs>
That is THE worst thing you can do. :sick: :sick: It is actually much worse than thrashing the car straight out of the box!
Who actually told you they don't need running in, because the owners manual specifically states they DO need running in?
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so what is considered running in?
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so what is considered running in?
Well, for starters, RTFM
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not knowing a great deal about the technical side of cars, I tend to listen to my father.
Having just re-built his 1.6L Golf engine for his Reynard Formula 2, he believes running it in will be of no benefit and that the long drive wouldnt do any harm whatsoever, if not good? There is good reason there to listen to my old man given his expierence with building race cars from scratch (2 clubmans) and building and maintaining his current Reynard - incluing the engine.
Honest question (and with all due respect Mr. TT) - what makes you believe that running in will do it good, or a long drive would be bad for it?
PS - 10th digit is an 8 so I assume its a 2008 model then???
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not knowing a great deal about the technical side of cars, I tend to listen to my father.
Well, there is nothing wrong with that, and I'm a great believer in respecting ones elders (take note all you young whipper-snappers out there! :grin:). However, I also think it is extremely important to recognise that engines are very, very different from a generation ago! :wink:
Having just re-built his 1.6L Golf engine for his Reynard Formula 2, he believes running it in will be of no benefit and that the long drive wouldnt do any harm whatsoever, if not good? There is good reason there to listen to my old man given his expierence with building race cars from scratch (2 clubmans) and building and maintaining his current Reynard - incluing the engine.
OMFG - a race engine is a very different beast to a road car engine. A race engine is all about achieving the absolute maximum power release, and if it blows up 10 feet after the chequered flag, then you have reached perfection.
A road car engine is all about durability. Yes, I'm sure we all want the most powerful GTI engine under the bonnet, but it won't be much use if it doesn't last very long between major rebuilds.
Honest question (and with all due respect Mr. TT) - what makes you believe that running in will do it good, or a long drive would be bad for it?
Like I said before, running it in at a constant speed, particularly in one go, for 600miles, and then simply reverting to the GLF principle afterwards is a recipe for disaster - in road car, or racing engines. The most important thing to do, is to vary the heat "cycles", and gradually build up over a generous period of time/miles, until you can eventually reach a stage of full throttle for extended periods of time (this should only really be reached after a minimum of 3,000 miles).
The vehicle handbook does touch on these principles, in a very basic and simplistic way. The car manufacturer needs to ensure that the running in procedure will be understood by the "lowest common denominator", hence why is isn't very detailed. However, that doesn't mean that the running in period can be fine tuned - particularly if the owner/driver has some basic mechanical understanding or aptitude. My own running in schedules, published in a couple of separate threads on this fourm, simply show a greater degree of refinement over the manufacturers own methods. Indeed, I always show my schedule to the relevent master technician at the relevent stealer, and they are always impressed, and often wish the manufacturers would "beef-up" their own published schedules. :nerd:
PS - 10th digit is an 8 so I assume its a 2008 model then???
Yup, correct.
Also, if the first six digits of your VIN are "WVWZZZ" then that is definately a Euro spec VIN. North American market (USA, Canada & Mexico) use a very different VIN system.
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ok - fair enough.
Given the long drive that I have already done, what effect is this going to have on the car itself.
Takig into account I lease it and in 2 1/2 to 3 years it will be gone (before warranty runs out)
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ok - fair enough.
Given the long drive that I have already done, what effect is this going to have on the car itself.
Well, without actually knowing how you treated it after the initial 600 miles, it is difficult to say.
If you then started to cane the pants off it, then it is probably beyond any help for redemption. However, if you have continued to "baby" it, then I would personally start again, effectively ignoring those initial 600 miles, and start the running in procedure again. Use the "advanced search" function, using my username, and you should be able to find my own shedule.
Takig into account I lease it and in 2 1/2 to 3 years it will be gone (before warranty runs out)
Again, you may be lucky, and not encounter any problems at all. However, if I personally knew that a new car was not run in according to the manufacturers schedule, then I would walk away from buying it.
I've seen and experienced far too many knackered and worn engines in my time - if engines are correctly run in, correctly warmed up, and correctly maintained - then they will not suffer from adverse engine wear. In 99% of the time, a worn or knackerd engine is an "abused" engine.