How to take care of your GTI/GTD

[ChrisJL]

Hi everyone,

I wondered if anyone had some good tips for how to keep your car in good shape, both looks wise and mechanically.

I've opted for the Life Shine for my GTI, I've had it on every car I've had and it helps stop stone chips / sun bleaching etc.

Mechanical wise, is a gentle running in period still advisable? even though they say you don't need to for most new cars?

Also I've never had a car with a Turbo before, always been naturally aspirated. A friend of mine who's had turbo cars before says that after a journey you're supposed to leave the engine on for a couple of minutes to give the turbo time to spin down? I've never had one with a turbo before so I'm keen to know if I need to sit after every journey before I turn the engine off. (Same for turbo Diesels maybe?)

Any tips on how to help keep it mechanically sound would be great as I intend to keep the car for as long as possible

[Gryzor]

Hi there,

A few people have used this to protect the paint from the weather:

http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/gtechniq/c2-liquid-crystal.aspx

But, no wax or clear coating is going to help prevent stone chips.  Sure, it might make really small particles glance off the car, but actual stones that fly up and hit your car...no chance.

It's true, you don't need to run cars in like you used to such is the build quality of the engines these days.  However, just be sensible and give it a varied run of town driving, longer distance, and stop-start, just to get things bedded in nicely.  Don't worry about going fast or hitting the red line, but just get there sensibly to start with.

Personally I've not heard of having to leave my car for 2 minutes before switching it off...sounds ludicrous to me, but maybe a grain of truth?  Either way, it's not something I'll ever be doing! 

As long as you don't drive it like a lunatic everywhere, a regular annual service should keep it mechanically sound.

[Jules Winfield]

The only cars where you have to sit in it for two minutes wasting petrol/money before you turn it off are exotic/silly sports cars.  Not Golfs.

[monkeyhanger]

Hi there,

A few people have used this to protect the paint from the weather:

http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/gtechniq/c2-liquid-crystal.aspx

But, no wax or clear coating is going to help prevent stone chips.  Sure, it might make really small particles glance off the car, but actual stones that fly up and hit your car...no chance.

It's true, you don't need to run cars in like you used to such is the build quality of the engines these days.  However, just be sensible and give it a varied run of town driving, longer distance, and stop-start, just to get things bedded in nicely.  Don't worry about going fast or hitting the red line, but just get there sensibly to start with.

Personally I've not heard of having to leave my car for 2 minutes before switching it off...sounds ludicrous to me, but maybe a grain of truth?  Either way, it's not something I'll ever be doing! 

As long as you don't drive it like a lunatic everywhere, a regular annual service should keep it mechanically sound.

Exactly what I would've said about running in - variety! Try to avoid more than 2/3 throttle for first 500  miles, but the odd accidental incursion isn't going to ruin your car. Avoid babying it to get a good seating on the piston rings. If they don't seat well because you drove it like a nun your car will be down on fuel, economy and be thirsty for oil.

2 minutes before switching off used to be the advice to spool down turbos many years ago, when turbos were quite crude and took a while to slow down and cool down after a trip out - not the case now.

[Bill_the_Bear]

Try to avoid more than 2/3 throttle for first 500  miles, but the odd accidental incursion isn't going to ruin your car. Avoid babying it to get a good seating on the piston rings. If they don't seat well because you drove it like a nun your car will be down on fuel, economy and be thirsty for oil.

I find this difficult to understand to be honest (my fault not yours).  Not going over 2/3 throttle, yet not driving like a nun... What I think of as driving like a nun would be for a large part not going over 2/3 throttle.

Do you mean fast acceleration is good, but cut it short so you don't go high on the revs? I'm confused a bit.

[rick2b]

No overpriced dealership 'wash' (sorry Lifeshine) will prevent stone chips

Another myth people seem believe

[mcmaddy]

even with today's turbo cars they say you should wait a short while when you've stopped before turning the ignition off. to be honest if you've been blasting on a motorway then come off and have a short show drive home then that's what you can do too. It's something to do with the oil.

[ChrisJL]

Thanks for the info all.

Sounds like the turbo thing isn't every time but perhaps just if its been driven REALLY hard then don't switch the engine off immediately and just give it a little time to calm down? - Wonder if the Stop Start would take that into account?

Sounds like its not an all the time thing though which is good. Not buying a GTI to be sat standing for a long time 

Won't be driving it off the rails but certainly won't be driving like a nun either 
Most opportunities to give it a squirt of fast acceleration etc then I will be doing so 

[monkeyhanger]

I find this difficult to understand to be honest (my fault not yours).  Not going over 2/3 throttle, yet not driving like a nun... What I think of as driving like a nun would be for a large part not going over 2/3 throttle.

Do you mean fast acceleration is good, but cut it short so you don't go high on the revs? I'm confused a bit.

Seeing as you'll get 3/4 of your performance from 2/3 of the throttle (diminishing returns at the higher end), I wouldn't  consider 2/3 throttle driving like a nun - was thinking more like someone only using a third of the throttle and maybe only taking the revs up to 40% of the red line, driving it ultra economically.

Moderate acceleration, up to 3/4 of the rev range and using 2/3 of the throttle to get there is what i'd be aiming to do for the first 500 miles and then work up a little from there from 500 to 1000 miles then do what you like after that (when the engine is warm). Lots of variation over the first couple of weeks of ownership.

[Bill_the_Bear]

Seeing as you'll get 3/4 of your performance from 2/3 of the throttle (diminishing returns at the higher end), I wouldn't  consider 2/3 throttle driving like a nun - was thinking more like someone only using a third of the throttle and maybe only taking the revs up to 40% of the red line, driving it ultra economically.

Moderate acceleration, up to 3/4 of the rev range and using 2/3 of the throttle to get there is what i'd be aiming to do for the first 500 miles and then work up a little from there from 500 to 1000 miles then do what you like after that (when the engine is warm). Lots of variation over the first couple of weeks of ownership.

Makes sense.