MK5 Golf GTI, Potential Cat Problems, Emissions

s_macmahon

this is a problem with my 08 GTI DSG, There is a bit of a judder under acceleration from about 2,000 rpm, once it hits 2,500 it seems to be fine. The emission light is coming on when this is happeneing , i'm just hoping it's not the cat that there is a problem with? If it's not the cat, what way can I get rid of this judder?

Anyone else have problems with this and if it is the cat, any clue on how much it's going to cost me to get it replaced? VW vs non franchised?

tossy

Has the DSG box been serviced properly ?

Best get an expert opinion from someone like Geroge Dalton,where are you based ?

If it was me i'd be hoping it was the Cat that was the problem!

George Dalton

The cat won't be the cause of the problem but if you continue to drive the car in the medium to long term while it isn't running properly then the cat will end up getting damaged.

If the engine light is coming on when the problem occurs then there will be a fault code logged. The first thing you need to do is get the car scanned using a diagnostic machine. Independent garage will be cheaper than a VW dealer for this but you need to make sure that the garage is familiar with the Mk5 GTI as there are a few common problems with them that can cause your symptoms.

Fizman

Hope it isn't your cam follower! What miles are on your car? Cam follower can go, usually, from 70k km - 110k km. Typically what happens is that it feels generally underpowered at high revs.

Getting exact fault codes is the way to go though!

s_macmahon

Thanks all, yea DSG was serviced late last year as per the schedule in manu's handbook.
anyone know of a decent (non_VW) mechanic that may have diagnostic equipment near Navan or in Meath?

s_macmahon

Power isn't gone in the car at high revs, pulls as normal from 2,500rpm the whole way up up to the red line, just seems to be the bit between the 2,000 and 2,500

s_macmahon

Been to VW and it was the ignition coil, so €142 to get it back on the road without issues.

Another thing, is it worth getting VW to do the cam follower as I read on one of the forums that it's a relatively cheapish job to do.

George Dalton

It is worthwhile checking/changing the cam follower but I would not recommend getting it done at a VW dealer unless you want to spend twice as much money as you need to.

tossy

s_macmahon wrote: »

Been to VW and it was the ignition coil, so €142 to get it back on the road without issues.

Another thing, is it worth getting VW to do the cam follower as I read on one of the forums that it's a relatively cheapish job to do.

142e to replace a coil pack ? How much are the coilpacks ? 40/50 euro ?

Moanin

s_macmahon wrote: »

Thanks all, yea DSG was serviced late last year as per the schedule in manu's handbook.
anyone know of a decent (non_VW) mechanic that may have diagnostic equipment near Navan or in Meath?

J & S Motors

gollywog

How would I know if the cm follower needs to be changed?

anthony4335

tossy wrote: »

142e to replace a coil pack ? How much are the coilpacks ? 40/50 euro ?

Depends upon the car, Saab's coil packs are 300-500 euro. Even before they went under they were still around 300 euro.
Glad to hear it is fixed I really would love to own one of these cars and is on the "list" of cars to own.

George Dalton

€40 plus VAT for a coilpack from VW.

Fizman

gollywog wrote: »

How would I know if the cm follower needs to be changed?

To be honest, I'd highly recommend just changing it every 70,000 - 80,000 km. Some guys on the GTI forums change every 30-50k but I think that's being a little too cautious.

George Dalton

Check replace around 80k should be fine. The only cars that have real issues with follower wear are either very early cars or else those with uprated high pressure pumps fitted.

Fizman

s_macmahon wrote: »

Been to VW and it was the ignition coil, so €142 to get it back on the road without issues.

Another thing, is it worth getting VW to do the cam follower as I read on one of the forums that it's a relatively cheapish job to do.

Absolutely get the cam follower changed, but as someone else mentioned, only get a decent indy mechanic to do so. Get the actual follower from VW (around €25). It can be a little labour intensive as the high-pressure fuel pump needs to be taken out, and I think the camshaft/inlet needs to be taken out in order to get to this.

I changed mine when I was getting my timing belt done, so I hit two birds with the one stone. It's definitely more cost effective to do it along those lines.


Oh and one thing that might be worth mentioning regarding your ignition coils......VW actually had a voluntary recall on the ignition coils in many coMK5 GTIs. It may be worth a call on your behalf (my GTI falls into this category - I rang them and they said to just schedule an appointment - if upon inspection, they need replacing, they are done so free of charge - all 4!!).

I haven't got round to getting my own physically into a garage yet, but it's definitely worth looking into. I suggest maybe ringing a different VW garage as opposed to the one you just went to. Give them your reg and tell them you want to see if you are entitled to a voluntary recall.

If so, you may be entitled to get your money back!

George Dalton

Fizman wrote: »

Absolutely get the cam follower changed, but as someone else mentioned, only get a decent indy mechanic to do so. Get the actual follower from VW (around €25). It can be a little labour intensive as the high-pressure fuel pump needs to be taken out, and I think the camshaft/inlet needs to be taken out in order to get to this.

I changed mine when I was getting my timing belt done, so I hit two birds with the one stone. It's definitely more cost effective to do it along those lines.

It's €30 + VAT for the follower. There is no real labour saving in doing it at the same time as the timing belt, they are completely separate jobs, the only part removed that is common to both jobs is the engine cover

s_macmahon

Coil pack didn't fix this. Emission light was still on and the car was still juddering. Left it in for another few days and picked it up on Monday, was bloody spark plugs that was causing the issues.

s_macmahon

Problem is back again , this time between 1500 & 2000 revs, emission light is back on as well, I'm wondering did they even fix it properly at all the last time.
Have it booked in for a timing belt change on Friday, would it be worth suggesting getting the cam follower done as well? If so any clue on how much?

Neilw

Seems they are just throwing parts at it in hope that something fixes it.
Do you have a copy of the diagnostic scan they should have done?

I'd be giving the car to George to fix.

Fizman

s_macmahon wrote: »

Problem is back again , this time between 1500 & 2000 revs, emission light is back on as well, I'm wondering did they even fix it properly at all the last time.
Have it booked in for a timing belt change on Friday, would it be worth suggesting getting the cam follower done as well? If so any clue on how much?

Yes, this is when I got my follower changed. Can't remember off the top of my head what it all cost, but certainly nowhere near as much had I done both of them seperately. Then again it was with my indy mechanic that I had been using for 5 years previous.

Fizman

When I got mine diagnosed, it returned a code P0087. Something along the lines of "fuel pressure low".

If it comes to that, you may need your HPFP (high pressure fuel pump) and cam shaft replaced.

George Dalton

s_macmahon wrote: »

would it be worth suggesting getting the cam follower done as well? If so any clue on how much?

About €65 for the cam follower change in an independent garage.

s_macmahon

Issue looks as if it's fixed (time will tell) . Main dealer said it was a faulty batch of ignition coils that they had so it's been replaced again so fingers crossed this time
Gave it a proper run over the weekend and all appears to be good. The GTI's really do sound good when in the port tunnel in paddle / sport mode with the windows open... ;);)