going back to my vw roots...

[RawrImAMonster]

My motor has the same problem with intake ports/valves getting gunked up since it uses direct injection. It also idles poorly in the cold so it's possible that is the cause (along with a whole other list of possibilities). I'll probably get around to cleaning them at some point in the spring. I'm sure it needs to be done either way.

[SlimKlim]

Mine looked about that bad when I took my manifold off, no issues with cold idle though.

The Stage 1 tune will change everything, it makes the car feel the "way it should've" from the factory.

[Sijray21]

A lot of things have happened since 2014, so i thought i'd update this thread since i'm the original owner and still have the car looking at the new(er) GTI owners.

Maintenance/Mods Performed since 2014 (not counting oil changes):

Oct 2014 (83222) - Fuel Line Sender replacement - i fucked up removing the line from the filter when i did the change and i had to replace the line from the LPFP (tank) to the filter. A bunch of techs online told me i had to drop the tank, but i was determined to find a way to NOT do that. I found a way and enlightened the online naysayers.
Nov 2014 (84000) - Intake Manifold Replaced under warranty. I pulled a P2015 code from my and it was covered under warranty. They offered to clean the intake ports/valves while the manifold was out, but i told them i JUST did that a couple weeks ago (and would've gladly paid them a few hundred $ to do that - such a time-sink, messy job). Extended VW warranty on IM and injectors (10 year, 120k miles).

Nov 2014 (84500) - I added the APR Stage 1 inake, Diesel Geeks Short Shifter, BFI Heavy Shift Knob, and Removed the noise pipe. All of which i should've done from the beginning... The intake allows me to hear the turbo and bypass valve much clearer. The intake and noise pipe deletion felt like it increased throttle response and reduced a bit of lag. The SS and Knob really makes driving the car a LOT more enjoyable (the throws were YUGE).

Summer 2016 (96000) - i removed the roof rack and sold that. i wasn't biking much and it looked great without the rack. i also appreciated the slightly better fuel economy. I added a 1 1/4" hitch for a bike rack that I rarely use.

May 2017 (105478) - Replaced All Brake rotors and pads. Overdue and really helped me to appreciate the car again. The front pads still had plenty of life, but i decided to get new ones anyway. i was shocked that the front pads lasted that long (7 years, 105k miles). No Auto-x or track time.

May 2017 (105478) - i also bought some used Euro-OEM Golf R taillights and installed/coded those along with some deautokey led bulbs for front/rear signals. It really changed the car. I freaking love how it looks now... The OEM taillights were my biggest pet peeve with how the car looked.

Oct 2017 (110178) - Accessory/Serpentine belt, brake flush, coolant flush

Feb 2018 (114684) - Intake Manifold Replaced under Extended VW Warranty, Upper Timing Chain cover replaced, De-Carboned the intake ports/valves. I had Stohlman do this service since it was already there for the IM warranty replacement. money well spent.


My original idea of replacing/supplementing the car was because of my daughter, the annoyance of having a 2-door with a child seat, and that my wife can't drive my car (i've tried to teach her stick, but she doesn't really want to set aside time to learn and i'm not going to push her). It's only annoying when i want to work on her car for service and when that happens she doesn't have a vehicle to drive; she has a wonky work schedule so getting that time is difficult when you factor in life-events.

Desires/Thoughts:
My wife had the JSW TDI that got caught in the Dieselgate scandal. We received a hefty payment from VW for all the problems and they bought the car back. I panicked a little when she almost got into a wreck with the TDI thinking that the insurance agency wouldn't give us the value that VW was going to give and we pulled the trigger on a '17 GSW before giving up the TDI cashcow. We were looking at the Alltrack since my wife needs to get to work regardless of the weather conditions (Nurse), but we got the sportwagen and slapped some good winter tires on during the cold months. We also got some inheritance from her late Grandfather (miss you PopPop, RIP) and we simply just paid off her car, taking the money from savings and the Dieselgate scandal and paid off her student loans last year. So right now, no car payments, no student loans, and no other debt other than the mortgage.... it's really nice especially when you have to pay for daycare around here, which is essentially another mortgage. I do miss track days and i have thought about coming back out and starting again in DE1 (made it up to DE2 solo back in the day) and maybe getting back into G-Stock Auto-x with the GTI. My main priority has been my daughter/family and house (renovations and repairs), but i've got a bit of a car-itch again.

I'd like to NOT have a car note as much as possible, so the next car i want to be able to cut a check for (or negotiate a lower OTD price with high dealer interest rate incentives on an open loan and pay it off in a month). My irritations with the car seat and having a 2-door have gone away since we switched to front-facing about 2 months ago. It's MUCH easier to get her in and out of the car and she doesn't have window controls, lock, or handle to play with as well.

Next car ideas: AWD, 4 doors, fun to drive, LED/HID headlamps, cargo capacity (hatch or wagon), and nice seats. Right now i'm just saving money, but i'm now looking at: mk7 Golf R (16-17), F31 M-Sport (i really shouldn't have read the MM forums on these...), and B8/B9 Allroads. The outlook to get another car is distant, so these are all just pipe dreams. Right now looking at <$30k range, but i should probably look at lowering that amount. The wife already gave me the green light on a used Golf R (ugh...) i just can't justify the expenditure at the moment. Maybe in a couple years or when my daughter is in public school.

Current Conclusion (probably going to change):
The car is good and i don't really need to replace it right now... (sigh...) i'm such an adult. The car is still fun to dive, it gets great fuel economy, it doesn't really cost me much, and i know its entire history. I think i'll need to give some attention to the suspension soon as i'm hearing some squeaking going on in the rear passenger side, but i need to find out what's causing that. The car checks my boxes for lighting (HID/LED), it's ok on power, it's pretty reliable, interior is still in great shape.

I'll add some pics soon.

[JPolen01]

Just curious - why did the intake manifold need to be replaced twice within 4 years? Shitty design? Known failure point? Seems rather quick for it to fail twice.

[Senor_Taylor]

+1 on the intake manifold question.

Those tail lights look awesome! Can't wait to see them in person when we have our VW day.

Have you considered a new WRX? That seems to check the boxes you listed if you can get past the less than stellar interior.

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[Sijray21]

I was also wondering this. The flapper arm apparently failed the second time (same as the 80k error). I'm not sure if the shop that did the first warranty work replaced the original with a new one of the old design since that was the main reason for the extended warranty. I also thought 30k was too soon for another failure...

The Humble Mechanic (YouTuber) posted a video to show the updated Manifold design for the early mk6 gtis, and I do have the updated IM now. I wish I looked/inspected Manifold that was replaced the first time around, but i didn't look closely (subtle exterior changes). I have a feeling that the carbon build up also affected the operation of the IM flapper, possibly adding resistance to its operation.

---

Have you considered a new WRX? That seems to check the boxes you listed if you can get past the less than stellar interior.

I may consider the WRX, but i haven't been in a new one. My only recent experience with Subaru interiors was with a Crosstrek last yaer and everything felt so cheap, even when compared to a Jetta (which is saying something). i had an issue with how weak the doors sounded/felt when closing as well. I need to actually sit in a WRX and test drive the newer ones, but i'm really saddened by the fact that there is no hatchback model available. I'm really leaning more toward a sporty wagon/hatch.

[Senor_Taylor]

Don't even bother with the Premium. Go straight for the limited. The premium interior is barren.

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[Sijray21]

I was curious and I found this... Likely a design issue with the flapper actuator...

https://youtu.be/E83-AmebpvU

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[ScottyB]

aaaaay, missed you Jayray. that's awesome you still have big red.

those tails are a huge improvement. glad to hear you got the biggie-size warranty too, sounds like you're making your money back on it with the manifold replacements.

B8 S4's are awesome, check them out. the supercharged V6 is way stronger than it sounds like it would be given the numbers (my dad's got that in his Q7 and it pushed that thing around surprisingly well), and audi's AWD is pretty unstoppable and actually handles pretty good these days. can't go wrong with a golf R either, depending on how often you're going to carry the wife + kid in it.

[Apoc]

F31 or GTFO

[Sijray21]

I leeroyed on some detailing equipment and supplies about a month ago and decided to use it on the dub today. Overall the paint wasn't all that bad, but until today I never even so much as waxed it (only washes) in 8 years of ownership; I feel like I neglected it a bit. I've also never used anything but wash and wax before so 8t was a bit of an adventure. I used the torqx DA polisher from chemical guys.

I watched a bunch of YouTube videos and settled on a bunch of chemical guys stuff.

Entire process:
Wash
Clay
Mild compound to get rid of some of the swirls
Polish
Sealant / glaze
Wax (liquid carnuba)

I noticed a big difference with the clay, glaze, and wax.

Overall pleased with the results, but there are still a lot of rock chips and deeper scratches that need better attention, but the scratches are less obvious now.

Before

After a wash


Dat wheel gap tho


Dat ass tho


Garage ceiling reflection (still some deeper scratches, but it's the roof and I don't care that much)


Done...


Everything I used...

[.RJ]

nice, jayray. i've got a bunch of detailing stuff if you need more.

[Senor_Taylor]

 Overall the paint wasn't all that bad, but until today I never even so much as waxed it (only washes) in 8 years of ownership; I feel like I neglected it a bit.

Glad I'm not the only one. 

Looks great!

[ScottyB]

Awesome, still have yet to get me a DA polisher. Those results look really good for a car that never had a wax coat in 8 years!

[Sijray21]

i've only washed the car with my supplies (terry cloth sponge thing) and typically a rain-x car wash solution. The dealer, i think, has washed the car a few times when i've brought it in for service, but there are definitely a lot of imperfections (mostly touch-up-paint-filled rock chips) and marks on the roof when i used a garage brush to get snow off :banghead:

[Sijray21]

very small update:

so, i just hit 120k with the GTI. Still going strong with no issues at the moment. i had to change the driver's side window switch since i lost the auto-up ability on the driver's window. I think the repair took me all of 5 minutes and the part was pretty cheap; a nice surprise.

As i drive the z3 and GTI interchangeably i definitely appreciate the nimbleness of the GTI and the boost. They're almost the same weight (Z3 being just under 3k lbs and the GTI just over). Oddly enough the Z3 is more comfortable to drive, but that's probably due to the aged BMW suspension and the slightly fatter sidewall tires on the z3 (225/55/16 as opposed to the 225/45/17 on the GTI). The biggest difference i notice in everyday driving are the gear ratios. The z3 has a longer/wider 5-spd and the GTI has a closer 6-spd. I actually find it much more comfortable to drive the Z around town since i'm not shifting nearly as much and it does feel better with the lower-end torque in stop and go. Around twistier roads i can tell how the Z3 grips compared to the GTI; you can really feel just how much lower you are to the ground. I wouldn't call either better since i'm not pushing them in a controlled environment, but i enjoy the feel in the z3 more even with the un-refreshed suspension. Different tires and ages of tires on both, but both are using summer tires. I wish the kid could ride with me in the z because if she could i'd probably just sell the GTI now while it's not in need of any repairs...

[Senor_Taylor]

I don't know how to feel about this.

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[Sijray21]

I don't know how to feel about this.

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Haha, I'm not sure what that means.

[ScottyB]

hey buddy i meant to ask you and just remembered when i saw this thread again...what do you end up doing with the carbon bits when you clean the valves? do they just drop into the cylinder and you burn them up when you first start the car again, or is there a way you catch that stuff from falling in (like manually turning the crank over until the valves are shut)? still amazed how well you cleaned that up, it looked really bad.

[Sijray21]

hey buddy i meant to ask you and just remembered when i saw this thread again...what do you end up doing with the carbon bits when you clean the valves? do they just drop into the cylinder and you burn them up when you first start the car again, or is there a way you catch that stuff from falling in (like manually turning the crank over until the valves are shut)? still amazed how well you cleaned that up, it looked really bad.

Oh, definitely do not wanting any of that in the cylinder. Soaked up with towels or vac'd out or blew out with air hose. Wanted it clean as possible. Taped up other ports to avoid anything dropping into the combustion chamber.

Manually turned the crank to close the Valves. Taped up the one chamber that was open (3 were closed if the crank position was right).

I hired out the second cleaning since the dealership was replacing the Manifold under warranty.