If anyone has worked on or owned one of these, is there anything imparticular to look out for when I go and view? It's done 100k miles, I know the engine will be fine (most likely) but will there be any mechanical parts to the car that would be worth checking given the mileage?
front wishbone rubbers
lower ball joints and
righthand wheel bearing.
turbo overboosting
Not really mechanical as such, more to do with bodywork, but:
glove compartment jammed shut (lock failure)
glass falling down in front door (usually driver's side)
check for damp in rear passengers' foot-well (possibly rear screen-wash pipe - can't remember exactly.)
Take a look here: Honest John - good and bad points.
Note: I've been accused of an over-zealous anti-VAG bias, so I'm just going to stick to the facts I've had personal experience of!
[Edited on 26/7/11 by David Jenkins]
Make sure all boost pipe clips are intact if they arent you will get big black smoke. If the lugs are worn pipes will pop off on boost. They arent cheap to replace either
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
Not really mechanical as such, more to do with bodywork, but:
glass falling down in front door (usually driver's side)
I wouldn't have another after the problems we had with ours.
Within a day of buying it, the head gasket went. (96k)
Then within 10k the Turbo blew on it (105k)
Then numerous electrical problems (brake light switches, tail bulbs/brake bulbs constantly blowing)
Then, on the day we were going to sell it the window dropped.
We paid £4600 for it on a 1999 X plate (I think)
We spent close to £1500 on it, and sold it 18 months later for £3000.
However the 2002 A4 I bought around the same time with the 1.9TDI engine with 94k on it lasted 3 years and another 100+k without any more than
standard servicing.
I wasn't overly impressed with the build quality of the Mk4 either to say it was aparently made by the same company as the Audi was. It was like
the Golf was thrown together, whereas the Audi was built to last.
Make sure the water pump has been changed at the same time as the cambelt
It would seem that maybe an audi a3 tdi would be a better option?
quote:
Originally posted by SeanStone
It would seem that maybe an audi a3 tdi would be a better option?
My old mans mk 4 gt tdi with the pd engine was well made and lasted very well.
He got rid of it just before 300,000 miles and he had it from new
I have a MK4 golf but the 1.8 turbo, had to have water pump changed and a couple of coil packs other than that pads and clutch. Happy withe the handling and build the TDI's are a bit of quick stuff if you get them remapped and still return good MPG
Tailgates rust along the bottom edge & the boot handle/catch is usually bubbled up with corrosion.
They are fairly low slung & the undertray along with the sump & gearbox can take a battering if driven carelessly over speed humps & on
country roads so take a look underneath & consider if it might matter for where you will be driving it
Door locks & catches can play up a bit so make sure they all work ok.
If the power steering seems lumpy or notchy at tickover & the auxillary drive belt is flapping dont worry too much, it's likely the over-run
clutch in the alternator pulley has seized, a simple & reasonably cheap fix. This is not a VW problem alone & affects many modern diesels, but
I've seen a few VAG cars do it
I've heard of many of the faults already listed too & it makes them sound terrible & you should'nt consider one but it's
usually the bad news that you hear & whatever you buy there'll always be someone telling you why you should'nt have got it & bought
whatever else instead. They are a fairly well put together car & I do still think a fair bit better than Ford/Peugeot/Vauxhall etc but mabye
hardly worth the premium they seem to attract.